Come Back to Me
by shortie990
Summary: Grissom and Sara try to find their footing. A sequel in a way to A Night at Rhino's.
1. A Night with Willows

Do not own CSI or any of the characters.

This is a sequel to _A Night at Rhino's_. Grissom and Sara try to find their footing.

* * *

**Come Back to Me**

Gil Grissom let out a deep sigh as he adjusted the knot of his tie before stepping into the grand dinning room of Hotel Meurice. Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead in such a hoity toity place like this. He preferred much more quieter, low- key places that could be found on the small sides streets of Paris. Or his favourite place to eat was in the comforts of his own apartment. That's where he wished he was now, sitting on his favourite leather recliner, a beer in his hand and take- out from the Indian restaurant down the street, with the songs from Carmen playing softly in the background while he graded the pile of papers he had promised his students he would have done by next week and his beloved mutt asleep at his feet.

However, he could wish all he wanted but it wasn't going to change his current situation. He had promised an old colleague and dear friend, who was visiting the City of Lights that he would have dinner with them. His blue eyes scanned the lush room, looking for the familiar blonde and her daughter. He stood off to the side of the hostess for a moment longer before spotting his date or dates for the night.

"Est-ce que monsieur, je m'excusent peuvent vous aider ?" asked the hostess, noticing him.

Grissom turned his attention away from his date, who had just spotted him and gave him a small wave, and onto the hostess. He smiled a polite smile at her, shaking his head from side to side. "Non, merci. J'ai juste trouvé ma date," he spoke, pointing out to the table in the centre of the room.

The hostess looked from him to where he was pointing to and back, nodding her head in realization. She then returned the smile, wishing Grissom a good meal.

Grissom then bided the hostess a goodbye before making his way to the table. "Bonjour, Catherine!" he greeted his former colleague, a smile playing on his face as he reached the table.

The former CSI and now FBI special Agent looked up at Grissom and smiled broadly. "Bonjour, Gil!" Catherine Willows then pushed back her chair and stood. "It's been too long," she added as she reached out and hugged her dear old friend. It had been over a year since they had seen each other last when Grissom had made a quick visit with her in DC on his way to Las Vegas. It had just been before she started her job in the FBI.

"It has," he answered back, agreeing. Both their lives were very different from when they had last worked with one another in the lab. However their friendship had remained strong though email and the odd phone call. And when Grissom was in Las Vegas, he always made an effort to visit her.

The two friends then broke apart before taking their seats at the table. "Hi Uncle Gil," spoke Lindsey, who was now twenty.

"Hi Lindsey," spoke Grissom, smiling at the young women who looked so much like her mother nowadays. "How's school?" he asked. Lindsey was on her spring break at the moment and Catherine had took some time off work to come to Europe with her daughter. They had already been to England for three days and were now in Paris for two days before heading finally to Italy for the remainder of the trip.

"School is good! It's great really!" answered Lindsey, excitably towards the older man. She was just finishing up her 2nd year at NYU where she was studying theatre. "I just landed the part of Titania in the program's upcoming production of Midnight Summer's Dream."

"Wow!" spoke Grissom, sounding impressed and he was. "Congratulations! You will make a lovely Queen of the Fairies!" He then turned his attention towards Catherine, "And how is the FBI treating you?" He had only heard briefly about her new job through email.

"It is treating me well," spoke Catherine as she began to open her menu and looked up at her former supervisor. "The work is hard and the hours are crazy but it's a thrill!" It had taken her a while to get use to the pace of being an agent with the FBI but now after being there for just over a year, she was finally settling in nicely.

Grissom looked on at her for a moment longer as he nodded his head in understanding, before turning his attention to his own menu. He was happy for her.

"How's the teaching going?" asked Catherine.

"It's good!" he commented, giving her a small smile as he held her eye briefly before becoming interested in the wine menu. After his time in Peru was over in the summer of 2011, he had returned to Sorbonne to teach for another semester. And that is where he remained. He enjoyed his time in Paris. He enjoyed teaching and sharing his knowledge and love for entomology. "The students are eager learners," he added on, knowing that Catherine would want to hear a little more then just that it was good.

Silence then fell over the table as the three of them began to read the menu. Catherine had to interrupt Grissom a couple times to help with what she was reading. Her French wasn't the best. _This immediately reminded him of the early days of his marriage with Sara. Who had struggled with the language at first and had once at a restaurant had ended up ordering beef instead of the vegetarian meal she wanted. He had never laughed so hard in his life as he had seen the look on her face when the waiter had placed it in front of her. And Sara who had not wanted to seem like another rude American Tourist, had not sent it back like Grissom had suggested. So he had ended eating her beef, while she filled herself with the vegetables on the side and bread._

After they had ordered a bottle of white wine and their food. The conversation had turned towards Lindsey again, where the young woman talked about her program and her life in New York.

Grissom could sense what Catherine really wanted to talk about but he did not lead her on. His marriage was a topic he avoided talking about whenever he could. So as they ate their meal and drank the wine, the conversation remained on the light side, talking about Catherine's work and her new life in DC.

Halfway through the meal, Lindsey's phone went off. It was a text from her friend who was studying abroad in Paris and who she had plans with later on that night. "That's Katie, she says she here! is it okay if I cut out early?" asked the young woman, looking up from her phone and over to her mother.

"That's fine with me," spoke up Grissom before Catherine could appose. Lindsey deserved to have some fun instead of listening to two old people chat, thought Grissom to himself.

Catherine shot her friend a look before smiling at her daughter, "Yeah go ahead. Just don't be too late okay. And be safe!" she added. She knew her daughter could handle herself but she still worried about her.

"Yes and Yes!" spoke Lindsey, smiling at her mother. She then tucked her phone back into her purse and stood up. "It was nice to see you again Uncle Gil," she spoke as she wrapped an arm around Grissom shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

"It was good seeing you too! " answered Grissom, smiling up at Lindsey as she pulled away. "Have a good night!"

* * *

After dinner was over, Catherine and Grissom decided to go to a more private place to talk. The two of them ended up in a small cafe that was just located down the street from the hotel. It was open around the clock. Catherine couldn't help but smirk at this. "It seems like Las Vegas isn't the only city where you can find anything open 24/7."

Grissom couldn't help but smile at this. This was very true. Before moving here, he had thought that Las Vegas was really the only place where you could find anything open at four in the morning.

The small cafe didn't serve just the usual coffee and tea but it had a license to serve alcohol as well. It was just passed ten as the two of them were seated at a small intimate table in the back of the cafe.

Grissom had a fond memory of coming there with Sara. It had been at Christmas, a year ago. They had gotten drunk on mulled wine and a little too intimate for a public place but no one had seemed to notice or if they had, they hadn't complained and kicked them out. Grissom couldn't help but think back to that night as he looked over the familiar menu..._ her breath was warm against his skin as she kissed the side of his neck. She was glued to his side in the small booth. She had one hand draped along the back of his neck and the other making circles along his thigh, inching closer and closer to... She nibbled on his ear lob as she daringly brushed the back of her fingers along him. He let out a shuddered breath at this. They didn't normally do this but the atmosphere of the place drew it out of them. It was darkly lit so they could not seen anything really but a few feet away from their table. The Waiter was no where in sight. It was just the two of them. Turning his face, he captured his lips with her. Their tongues intertwined together. He could taste the spiciness of the wine on her lips as the kiss deepened. Her hand was wrapped powerfully around the back of his neck, clenching at the curls that lay there. His arm was wrapped around her waist, drawing her even closer then they already were. Her fingers continue to stroke him lightly through the material of his pants. His other hand was cupping her left breast. He was pressing her against the back of the booth as his hand traveled down her side and grabbed at her stoking clothed thigh. He wanted her..._

"Grissom!" spoke Catherine, looking over at her former supervisor and drawing him out of his daydream.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" he asked, rapidly blinking his blue eyes as he straightened his back. He was glad for the darken lighting of the place so that Catherine could not see the redness in his cheeks.

"I was asking you if you have been here before, but I think I already got my answer," smirked Catherine, winking playfully at him before turning her attention back onto her menu. "So what's good here?" She asked after a moment.

"They make a good pecan pie," he answered, not missing a beat this time. The two old friends didn't exchange another word with one another until a few moments later, after the waiter had come and taken their order of one piece of pecan pie and two coffees with Bailey's.

* * *

"So are you ready to talk about it, yet?" asked the former CSI as she blew cold air onto her steamy mug of coffee as she cradled it in her hand and brought it to her lips. Her eyes were looking into Grissom's, studying him.

His blue eyes looked up at this. He didn't know if he was ever going to be ready to talk about it. He had talked briefly about it with Brass but the poor man had to pull tooth and nail to get any information. They had gotten together and married in secret, he had figured they could separate too without any one finding out. The two of them locked eyes with one another for a moment before he dropped his gaze onto the dark liquid in the mug before letting out a sigh. He knew there was no point in fighting with the woman seated in front of him. She was going to integrated him until he broke. She did this for a living. "What would you like to know?" he asked. He all the sudden sounded very tired and sad at the same time.

"What happened?" she asked in a soft whisper. She knew that he was a private person and she respected that. However, he was one of her oldest and dearest friends and she just wanted to help him out as best as she could. She could tell that the man was unhappy and struggling. Brass had been the first person to tell her about the separation between her two friends. This news had come as a surprise to her. She had thought that the two of them would be together forever in away. She had then called Grissom but had only gotten his voice mail like always. She had spoken to Nick briefly about the matter. He had told her how Sara was barely getting through the day. Catherine had thought about calling Sara but had no words to offer her. Sure she had been through divorce before.

But she had never lost her soul mate like she knew Sara had. How was one suppose to comfort someone who had lost their whole world?

Grissom just shrugged his shoulders at this. This was one thing he was still trying to figure out for himself. What exactly had happened within the marriage to make it end like it had? "Nothing really had happened," he began to speak in a low voice as he stabbed his fork into the piece of pie they lay between them, "No one cheated or lost trust. It was the distance, I guess that finally did it."

There was pain in his voice, noted Catherine as she quietly drank her coffee and continued to look on at Grissom with worry. This was not the first time she had seen him so lost and sad before. The first time had been when Sara had asked for a leave of absence from the lab. That had been the first time she had saw his feelings for Sara come out. She had always known for them to have a connection but she had always thought it was one sided, mostly on Sara's side. But he had let his vulnerability show that day at the thought of her leaving the lab. She had convinced him to send her flowers or something to say that he was sorry. He had sent a plant. It hadn't been the most romantic gesture but it was Grissom. And it had worked, Sara had ended up staying. The second time, had been during and after the Debbie Marlin case. She hadn't said anything to him but she knew seeing that girl dead on the floor had hit close to home for him. Debbie and Sara had had such a close resemblance to each other, it had even sent chills down her own body when she had first stepped into that bathroom years ago. The third time had been about a year later when Sara had been attacked at a crime scene by a mental patient. Catherine had not been on the case but had heard what had happened after the fact. She had heard it from Brass but when she had popped in to see Grissom at his office, that look of loss was once again embedded in his face. And for a few years she didn't see that look, until Sara was kidnapped by the miniature killer. And after she had left Las Vegas soon afterwards, that look had been a permanent fixture on his face until he had finally decided to follow her to Costa Rica. And that's when the look went away and he was happy. They both were happy or so she had thought.

"Sara wasn't happy here in Paris. She was at the beginning," his voice trailed off a little as he remember her enthusiasm at the idea of moving to Paris after a month of being married and her work in Costa Rica was done. As long as she was with him, she was happy, she had told him. They had shortly found out after moving into what was his apartment now that she was pregnant. The pregnancy had been a complete surprise for both of them. They had never discussed having children. But once that little plus sign had showed up on the stick, the idea could not be shaken. They had been happy, so happy back then, he thought to himself. "But after she loss the baby, things changed. She had nothing for her in Paris, while I had my teaching. She didn't speak the language well enough to get a job. I could tell she wasn't happy but I didn't know how to change it..." his voice trailed off again as his mind traveled back to that night that Ecklie had called, wondering if he knew any good CSI's, the lab was short yet again. One person and only one person had come to mind, Sara. Sara had hesitated at taking the job at first. It had been so long since she had been in the lab or in Las Vegas for that matter. She didn't know if she could face being there again. However, he had encouraged her. Saying that it would do her good to be surrounded by the familiar work and her old family. He hadn't wanted to make her feel like he was shipping her off. But after much discussion, Sara had decided to go. The move was suppose to be temporary. And it had been for a while. She would be in Vegas for a few weeks at a time and then in Paris for a few weeks more. He had loved seeing her happy again as she was in Las Vegas doing something she was good at and loved, solving crimes. "That's when she moved to Las Vegas. It was suppose to be a temporary thing until my contract at Sorbonne was up in April. And we would get our research grant passed. And for a while it had been. Ecklie had been flexible with Sara's hours. She had been doing him a favour."

Catherine nodded her head at this. She knew all this. Grissom had returned to Las Vegas that summer and him and Sara had bought a house. They had been moving permanently back to the city.

"Shortly after coming back, we had found out that we were expecting again. This one had been planned, " his voice was softer now as he remembered that day that Sara had told him that she was pregnant. After she had miscarried, he could not get the idea of being a father out of his head. And when he returned to the states, he had wanted to make that idea a reality and so had Sara. "I couldn't wait to be a father, Cath," he confessed, his eyes suddenly stinging with tears as he looked on at Catherine.

"I know," whispered out Catherine, reaching out and placing a hand onto of his own. She knew that both Sara and Grissom had wanted that child more then anything. Sara had confessed to her condition shortly after she had told Grissom. Catherine had been her supervisor at the time. Catherine had promised that she would monitor her cases and make sure she didn't touch or come near any chemicals that could harm the baby.

"I should had never gone back to Sorbonne to teach for that fall semester," spoke Grissom angrily. He was no longer talking to Catherine but himself. He blamed himself more then ever for not being there for Sara that September when their world had fallen apart yet again. After finding out about the pregnancy, Grissom had gotten asked to come back to guest lecture for another term. He was going to turn them down but Sara had encouraged him to go, saying that he would be back in December, plenty time before the baby would arrive in late March, early April. So he had left, promising he would visit during the reading week in October.

"Gil, you weren't the reason that she miscarried. It would had happened whether you had been there or not," explained the woman sadly, her own eyes filling with tears as she remember that day so clearly. Sara had been working on a scene with her when she had suddenly clenched her stomach in pain before fainting The older woman had stayed with her the whole time as she was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery to save the baby. But nothing could have been done. The damage had already been done. She had had an Ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy in the fallopian tube. She had been sixteen weeks when her fallopian tube had ruptured.

"I should had been there for her," he snapped. Catherine had been the one to call him, telling him to come home, that his wife needed him. Grissom had stayed for a few weeks but had ended going back by early November. Sara had wanted him too. They had both needed to get back on with their lives. He hadn't come home for Thanksgiving like he had promised her he would, though. He guessed this is where their marriage had began to crumble. He had been home for Christmas that year and stayed until the New Year. He was silent for a while after this as he reached for his now lukewarm coffee and drank it in large gulps.

It was over the Christmas holiday that he got an email from an old school friend about a research opportunity in Peru. This time he had taken it with out discussing it with his wife like he should have. Like Sara had been in Paris, Grissom was bored with having nothing to do in Las Vegas. And on January 2nd, 2011, he had set off once again. Each of them going their separate ways. It was for the better they had decided. Sara didn't want to try for another baby with the fear of miscarrying again. She couldn't go through with the pain again. And neither could he.

They had always had a unconventional relationship. First with the age difference, then with him being her supervisor when they had decided to take their relationship to a more intimate level. So why couldn't they have an unconventional marriage either. They knew it wasn't going to be easy but they both loved each other enough to want to make it work. They had promised to call each day, even if it was just to say a quick hi. And he had promised her, he would return at the end of that month for his mother's event at the deaf school. However, things had happened. Things that had been out of his hands at the time and he couldn't get a flight out. Another promise he had broken. Sara had not been mad or so she had told him. That she was okay with being left alone at an event with his mother and his ex girlfriend, Julia. His research in Peru had lasted longer then expected. He was only suppose to be there for five month but it had lasted eight. Sara had been a good sport about it though. She had told him that she was happy in Las Vegas.

While he had been away, she had flew out to visit him three times. Once to spend her birthday with him and the other two times just because she was missing him. He had returned back to Las Vegas in August, where they had spent a blissful month together. Sara had taken time off work so that they could be together. They had rented out an old 1980s RV and had gone on a road trip through the United States. Some of his fondest memories of his marriage had happened during that month when it was just the two of them and a map.

But of course, things once again went sour as Grissom once again decided to return to Paris to teach and Sara to Las Vegas. It was here that things had began to get rocky for their marriage. The first few months had been good. They had once again established a routine of sorts. With daily phone calls and Skype talks at least twice, sometimes three times a week at the beginning. And they would take turns flying out to visit one another very month or so. But soon reality hit and things got in the way of their carefully drawn out plan.

"It's been over the last year that things have gotten hard for us," spoke Grissom once again as he placed his now empty mug down onto the table. "It was beginning to be a burden to fly out every few weeks to see one another. Flights were beginning to get cancelled last minute, phone calls missed and such," he lifted his palms up to the ceiling as if to gesture at something. "And when we did talk, it wasn't about what we should had been talking about, I guess. We would talk about Sara's cases she was working on or my lectures. We avoided our unhappiest we were both feeling. Everything was kept upbeat and sugar coated. We didn't want to admit to the fact that it was becoming to much to handle. That our marriage wasn't working," he admitted this last part sadly. When he and Sara had gotten married on the hot summer night in the small village church with just the two of them, a minister and a witness from the village, he had thought that this was it. That this was the start of his life finally in a way. That he hadn't really been living until that moment, where Sara was finally his wife. His own, body and soul. His soul mate.

"Or when we did see one another, it was just a physical thing. Most of our short visits were spent in bed and not much talking was done," he wouldn't usually talk about his sex life, especially with Catherine. He didn't know if it was the effects of the wine from earlier or the Bailey's in the coffee or the mixture of the two that was making him talk about his sex life.

A sudden memory filled his mind as he thought back to the last time he had made love to his wife... _It had been the last time he had saw her in person. It had been a few days after New Years. He was flying out later on that night, back to his home in Paris. The stay had been his longest one in over six months, two weeks. It had been two weeks of endless slumber and sex and nothing else. _

_Their parting had been different from all the rest before hand. It had felt like they were truly saying goodbye this time and not just see ya later. As he had placed his packed suitcases at the front door and waited for his cab to drive him to the airport. Usually Sara would drive him but she was suppose to be returning to work that night, within an hour for that matter. Their time left was sparse. They had needed to touch and feel each other one last time before it was time to part. Their love making had been fast and quick. It had been out of need and desire. Like an addict taking one last drag of a joint. Taking one last sip from the bottom of the bottle. Savouring the sweetness of their addiction before it was over. _

_It had been a quickie. Up against the kitchen island. They hadn't bother to get fully undressed as their lips attacked one another, hands hungrily groping at parts. He had pulled off her jeans and pushed her panties to the side as he entered her. His member fully entering her over and over as he slammed his hips against hers. She had her legs wrapped around his waist as his hands held her waist, supporting her weight. It was animalistic. The act of fulfilling one last need. _

_They had climaxed quickly after starting. Both of their orgasms powerful and vocal... _

Catherine was a little taken back at this last bit of information to come from this usually very private man but she did not question him any further on the matter. She knew long distance could tear a couple apart and as she sat there listening to this sad man, she knew that that is what happened to his and Sara's.

"I was lonely and unhappy. And I knew she was too. We were both avoiding it. But finally, someone had to bring it up," he spoke slowly as he looked down at the untouched piece of pie. He hadn't wanted to be the first one to do it but he knew that Sara would avoid it if she could. "I love her. But sometimes love isn't enough. I had promised her that I would make her happy, that I would be a perfect husband and she would be an happy wife. However, I had broken that promise...too many times to count. And I knew she wasn't happy. I wanted to set her free. She is young still. It is not too late for her to find someone and start a family with them. I am an old man compared to her. She deserves more then me. She as always deserved more!" His voice was on edge of breaking at the moment but he willed himself to keep it together.

"I knew she didn't want to separate. I didn't want to either but it was for the best... it is for the best," he corrected himself as he blinked sudden tears away from his eyes. Everyday that had gone passed since that phone call he had regretted his decision. The moment she had hung up on him, he had wanted to call her and say he took it back. But he hadn't. He had been too much of a coward to do so. He hadn't wanted to admit he was wrong. So he willed himself to go on with his life, like he had told her too. "Before everything had happened, I had promised I would be back for her birthday. Her big 4-0! However, like everything else, I broke that promise. I knew on that night that she would be waiting for me, hoping that I would change my mind and that we would be together. I had thought to call her but chickened out. I knew the moment I heard her voice, I would lose it. So instead, I just texted her, " he was rambling now and he knew it. But once he started, he couldn't stop. He needed to get this off his chest. All of his feelings and guilt from over the past two months.

Catherine was silent for a moment as she continue to study the crumbling man before her. She didn't know if there was more or not. She waited a few moments longer before speaking when realizing that the former CSI had nothing else to say. "You should talk to her Gil. She is struggling like you are. You need to tell her that you want to work this out and be with her. Before it's too late."

Grissom just shook his head at this. He couldn't do that. Like he told Brass, it was easier this way. It was for the better. She needed to be with someone who could make her happy. He wasn't that person or at least not anymore. Their flame had died out. "All good things must come to an end," he quoted before beginning to eat the pie. His walls were up again. Sharing time was over.

Catherine let out a sigh at this but didn't not push him any further. She knew their was nothing she could do really. It was out of her hands. Reaching for her own fork, she began to eat the piece of pie as well.

* * *

Two pieces of pie and a couple of glasses of brandy later, the two friends parted ways. Grissom had walked Catherine back to the Hotel Meurice where she was staying, kissing her on each cheek like the French do before hailing a cab and heading back to his apartment. He knew he should head straight to bed as it was one in the morning and he had to be up by six for an lecture. However, he stumbled into the kitchen and over to the make shift bar. Reaching for a glass, he poured himself a drink. He never usually drank in the middle of the week, especially when he had a lecture the next morning. However, he needed something to comfort him. He felt raw and vulnerable after dishing out his feelings to Catherine on his marriage.

He took a long sip of the whiskey before moving into the bedroom. Hank was asleep on the edge of the bed. He had always been Grissom's dog but he couldn't help but feel selfish sometimes that he had gotten to keep him in least with the dog, he wasn't completely alone, where Sara was. He had rescued Hank when he was just a pup. That had been nearly ten years ago. Sara had just laughed when she had heard the name of the dog when they had first started going out.

Being careful not to awaken the sleeping pooch, Grissom placed his glass onto the nightstand as he began to take off the monkey suit he was wearing. Not caring if the suit wrinkled, he left the clothes on the floor as he got into bed. His eyes fell onto the empty side of the bed. He wondered what she was doing that night. It would be four in the afternoon in Las Vegas. She would probably be sleeping or getting ready for work. Or, she might already be at work, he thought.

The moon was bright and full that night as it shown through the open window of the out for his drink, his eyes shifted towards it. It was beautiful, like she was, he thought. His heart ached for her. He missed her terribly. As he continue to sip his drink, his thought drifted to happier times. To all those times spent in this very bed...

He awoke with a start at the sudden barking of Hank. His blue eyes fluttered open to see the dog standing over him. It was morning now. The sun was just peaking over the French cityscape. Grissom just lay there for a moment in a daze as Hank licked his face before pushing the dog off of him and getting out of bed. He still had his glass, which was empty in his hand. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as his head throbbed painfully. He was hung over. He had drank too much last night, he thought to himself.

Placing the empty glass onto the nightstand, his eyes flickered to the small alarm clock. It was just passed six in the morning. He was late for work. He hadn't heard his alarm go off. Swearing loudly under his breath, he quickly began to run around the room, looking for cleaning clothes to put on.

Hank whined loudly in the background. He needed to be taken out for a pee.

"Okay, okay," spoke Grissom to the dog as he did up his belt. His lecture started at 730, he still had time. Grabbing the dog by the collar, he pulled him off of the bed and towards the front door. Hooking him to his leash, Grissom put on a pair of spare running shoes which he kept by the door for times like these and lead Hank out of the apartment.

They were back in the apartment just under ten minutes later. Closing the door, he undid the leash, letting the dog go free. Hank wagged his tail joyfully as he made his way into the kitchen and hungrily began to drink from his water bowl.

"Don't over do it because I won't be back until four to let you out again," Grissom cried to the dog as he hung up the leash on the hook by the door and kicked off his shoes. He then made his way into the bathroom, where he began to brush his teeth. He didn't have time for a shower. After brushing his teeth, he made his way into the bedroom, where he retrieved his phone from the pocket of his pants from last night. Grabbing his briefcase which was lying on the couch, he once again left the apartment. He was now an half an hour late.

* * *

"S'il vous plaît, qui est chaque téléphone cellulaire qui est, la désactiver!" cried out Grissom as the sound of someone's phone going off filled the lecture hall. This was the third time that he had been interrupted by the phone going off.

"Professeur, je crois que c'est votre téléphone!" cried one of the students in the front row. They were pointing towards the apodum, behind Grissom where the noise was coming from. It was his cell phone going off.

Grissom blushed slightly at this as he looked over his shoulder. "mes excuses," he apologized to his students as he walked back over to the apodum and reached for his phone, which he had put there. He didn't bother to look at who was calling him as he put the phone on silent and put it back down. He then once again picked up where he had left off within the lecture.

After finishing up his morning lectures and he was packing up his papers, he was stopped by a student. They had wanted to discuss something he had said in class. Grissom had told the student to meet him in his office in five minutes. After all his papers were packed, he reached for his cell phone which was still on the apodum. However he did not bother to look at it as he placed it in his pocket of his pants and headed out of the lecture hall and towards his office.

* * *

It wasn't until a few hours later that he finally remembered to check his phone. There were five miss calls. All from Brass. He frowned slightly at this. It wasn't unusual for the detective to be calling him. It was however for him to call him five times in a row. Something was up, he thoughts as he tapped his voice mail password into the phone and listened to the five messages that had been left. The winkle in his brow line got deeper and deeper as he listened to each message. Something was wrong. Something had happened. Why else would Brass be wanting him to call his wife? What had happened to Sara?

Fear pulsed through his body as he quickly glanced over at the clock on his office wall. It was just pass four in the afternoon. Meaning it would be around seven in the morning in Las Vegas. Normally he wouldn't call her this early but he didn't care at this moment if he a woke her. He needed to know what was going on. Brass had been the one to tell him about what had happened on Sara's birthday with Ronald Basderic. It had pained him to hear this from Jim and not Sara, herself. Especially a week later after it had all happened. He only had himself to blame for that. He had been the one to suggest the separation and knew Sara wouldn't phone him, thinking he didn't care anymore.

He called her cell phone first but got no answer. The panic in his heart quickened slightly at this. Either she didn't want to hear from him or something was defiantly up. He then quickly dialed the house phone. It rang four times before he heard the click of the phone on the other line.

"Hello?" her voice was filled with sleep, he noted.

"Sara!" he spoke, relieved that she had answered.

"Gil!?" cried out Sara, suddenly wide awake as her whole body seemed to stand on end at the sound of his voice. It had been too long she thought to herself as she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Yes, it's me. Now what's going on? What happened?" he asked in a panic. "Sara, talk to me? What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked as there was silence on the other end. However that didn't last for long. He could heard the muffled sounds of her sobbing. His heart went out to her. Fear and concerned pulsed through his body as he clenched his phone closer to his ear. Something was the matter. "Sara, honey, tell me what happened?"

Silence filled the phone as neither of them spoke. He could still hear Sara's crying but it wasn't as hard as before. "I miss you," she whispered through her tears.

Grissom breathed deeply into the phone as he leaned back against his office chair, "I miss you too!" He whispered back. And he meant it. He missed her everyday, every hour, every minute. And knowing that she wasn't his anymore just made it ten times worse.

Sara's muffled cries filled the phone once again in response to this. He then knew that nothing had happened to Sara other then a broken heart. They were silent for a moment as they listened to each other breathing on the phone. There had been a time, when all they would do was listen to the other breathing on the phone, waiting for one of them to fall asleep first. He closed his eyes briefly as he was suddenly exhausted.

"Gil," whispered Sara into the phone. Her voice was quiet but in control. "Gil?"

"Yes, I'm still here," he whispered as he opened his eyes. He rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

"I do," he replied in a whisper. He regretted it every day. His life wasn't any different then what it had been before that phone call that had ended their marriage. But just knowing that she wasn't his was just enough to drive him crazy. He had still gone to work and lectured. He still graded papers and took Hank for walks. He still did everything that he had before he had removed his wedding ring from his finger.

But his life wasn't the same anymore. His routine had always been filled with the idea of Sara at the back of his mind, wondering what she would think of his lecture, or would she laugh or roll her eyes at the bad joke his colleague had just told.

There was silence on the other end, she was waiting for him to say more. "I regret how we ended our marriage over the phone and not in person... I mean that I don't want to get divorce...that I know what it is like to be without you...I don't like it...I have never liked it, Sara. You are constantly on my mind. I love you and Miss you and want you to be my wife again," he had thought a lot about this. He had seen marriages fall apart before. But he had never thought he would seen his own do so. Catherine had once told him that divorce was better down quickly, like taking off a bandage, no rejects. However, he regretted separating from her. There was no other woman for him then Sara Sidle.

"I want to be your wife too," she cried in response. Her voice was filled with emotion. "I have loved you always Gil, you know that...And I am tired of living apart...come back to me, come back to me Gil, please just come back to me!"

* * *

Okay, I know it's not the best ending but I promise there will be another part to this story. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.

Julie


	2. Phone Calls

Do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Thanks so much for all the feedback on the first chapter, it made writing this one a lot more easier.

* * *

"He called," whispered Sara towards Greg. They were seated in the break room. Shift was just about to start.

"Who?" asked Greg towards her.

Sara shot Greg a look before whispering harshly, "GIL! My husband!"

"Oh! and what did the bastard want now?" he asked as he drank from his coffee mug, not bothering to look up from the magazine he was reading. However, the second the words left his mouth, guilt and regret washed over him.

"You know what, never mind," spoke Sara suddenly as she leaned back in her chair. She didn't need Greg's attitude. "It's not important!" Her brown eyes were dark with hurt and hatred at what the younger CSI had just said. She knew Grissom wasn't his favourite person at the moment and he had made it clear on an numerous occasions but she had enough. She just wanted support.

"Come on Sara, I'm sorry," cried Greg, as he placed down his mug onto the surface of the table. He felt like a jerk just then as he looked on at Sara, who was avoiding looking into his face. He knew he had crossed a line but he hated what Grissom had done to Sara. Break ups were always hard but over the phone, now that was just harsh! "Tell me what the old bug man said!" His voice was light and cheerful as he tried to smooth over the damage he had created.

Sara knew what Greg was trying to do just then by using Grissom's old nickname but it wasn't going to work. She had thought she could count on Greg as a friend but clearly she was wrong. She shook her head and raised a hand as if to silence him, "No, it's fine!" And with that she pushed back her chair and walked out of the room.

Greg watched as she walked away and down the hallway. "Nice going Sanders," he whispered under his breath, kicking himself. He always knew how to chase the girls away, he thought to himself as he continue to drink his coffee and slumber in his guilt.

"Hey, what's up with Sara?" asked Nick as he came into the break room just a few moments later. "I just ran into her the hallway and she looked pissed off about something!"

Greg just looked up at the Texan and shrugged his shoulders, "I might had said something stupid," he murmured avoiding the Texan's gaze.

Nick narrowed his eyes at Greg before moving towards the coffee machine, were a fresh pot had just been made. The two men were silent as Nick poured himself a cup and took a seat across from Greg. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Greg looked up briefly at Nick before shaking his head slowly, "Not really," he answered. He knew if Nick found out what he had said that he would have the Texan on his back as well.

"OK!" Nick murmured, taking a sip from his coffee. His eyes continued to bore into Greg, studying him. He couldn't tell that the younger CSI was upset about something but he couldn't pin-point exactly what it was.

* * *

Sara's body pulsed with rage as she stormed into the women's washroom of the lab. She was pissed off at what Greg had said. She knew he wasn't Grissom's biggest fan or anything since the separation. But he was still the man that she loved. And she didn't like how Greg just assumed it was Gil's fault for her unhappiness. Yes, he had been the one to suggest that they break up. Yes, he was the one who had stopped calling. Yes, he was the one who had broken her heart, yet again. However, she found it difficult to have a reasonable conversation with the younger man, without his hatred coming through.

She just wanted to tell someone about Grissom's phone call. It still confused her. After she had practically begged him to come back to her, he had told her, he would do his best. Which basically meant she had to wait a month. His contract was up at the end of May. But he had promised that he would come back to Las Vegas for her. They both knew that they loved each other and couldn't be apart any longer. They weren't happy.

But after finishing the phone call, she couldn't help but feel more lonely and confused then she had been before the phone call.

They hadn't spoken since that phone call earlier that morning. But as Sara stood in the washroom, staring at her appearance in the mirror, she couldn't help but reach for her phone which was in the front pocket of her jeans. She had the deep urge to call him at that moment. But she quickly decided against it. There was no point. It was the middle of the night there, he was probably a sleep and wouldn't answer. He had promised her though that he would call her once she got off shift, which wouldn't be for another eight hours.

Cursing under her breath, she put her phone back into her pocket before turning on the tap of the sink and splashing warm water on her face. She was a little calmer now then she had been when she first stormed into the washroom. But she still felt a little on edge. Not so much at what Greg had said but about the fogginess of her marriage. Yes she had gotten to speak to her husband and told him how she felt. And she now knew that he regretted ending it and that he missed her. But she knew she wouldn't feel completely happy until she saw him in person and they dished out all their problems face to face.

However their conversation had given her some hope that her marriage was worth saving and had slipped the thin rose gold wedding band back onto her ring finger, earlier that evening before heading into work.

* * *

"Hey Sara," greeted Brass as she arrived on scene. She was riding solo that night on a possible homicide.

"Hey Brass," greeted Sara to the detective as he held the yellow crime scene tap up as she ducked underneath it. The entire front yard of the house had been roped off. She smiled at the older man as she felt his gaze on her. She knew he wanted to ask if he called but she didn't want to get into that now. She needed to focus on work. So before she allowed Brass to speak, she asked him where the body was.

Brass held her gaze for a second before launching into how the body of a twenty something year old woman had been found by her boyfriend in the kitchen. It looked like she had been stabbed in the back multiple times.

However, She knew Brass wasn't done with her as she placed her kit down in the hallway, just outside of the kitchen and began to take multiple pictures of the body. She tried to ignore his presence as he continue to stand there, watching her as she kneeled over the body, taking a close up picture of the knife proceeding from the victim's back. After a few moments had passed she let out a sign before lowering her camera and turning towards Brass. "He called," she whispered.

"He did?" asked the detective back. He was genuine surprised by this.

"Yeah," she answered, "He thought something had happened." She couldn't help but smile as she remembered how concerned he had been when he had phoned that morning.

"Did you talk?" he asked, watching as she raised her camera once again and snapped a few pictures of the crime scene.

"A little," she answered with a shrug of her shoulders. Yes, they had talked but she didn't really feel like dishing about it here with Brass. She could tell he was waiting for her to say more as his eyes continued to bore into back. However, she was gladly interrupted by David.

"Hi Sara, Hi Brass!" greeted the assistant coroner as he appeared beside Brass in the doorframe of the kitchen.

"Hi David!" spoke Sara, smiling broadly at him.

David returned the smile, "Are you finished with the body?" he asked towards her.

"Yes, I am," replied Sara as she stepped away from the body, allowing for the coroner to removed the body from the scene. She could still feel Brass's eyes on her as she moved through out the kitchen looking for anything out of place. She knew that Brass was concern about her but this wasn't the time or place to talk about her marriage.

Five hours later, Sara had finished collecting evidence and had cleared the scene. As she closed up her kit and packed all the evidence into the back of her vehicle, she was once again approached by Brass. "Look Brass I know you want to talk but I have to get this stuff to the lab," she explained in a quiet but firm voice. Her brown eyes piercing into the older man's ones. "I will call you when I'm done and we can get breakfast, ok?"

Brass just stared at her for a moment before smiling at her. "Okay," he nodded as he placed a hand on the crook of her arm before leaving her to be once again. He knew that Sara needed her space. He just wanted to be there for her.

* * *

"I talked to her," spoke Grissom quietly over to Catherine as he leaned his elbows against the table. The two friends were meeting up for a quick lunch before Grissom had to go back to work and Catherine was to head to the airport to Rome. The two of them were seated in a small bistro.

Catherine looked surprised by this. She hadn't known that him and Sara had been in touch. Especially since their dinner together a day ago, she had just assumed it had been a while. "When?" she asked as she slowly reached out and lay her napkin on her lap.

"Yesterday," he explained, "I had gotten a call, well a number of calls from Jim saying I needed to call my wife. I thought something had happened, so I did." His voice trailed off as he looked away from Catherine and onto the table next to them, where a young mother was breasting feeding her baby. Grissom felt a pang in his chest as this and had to quickly look away.

"and?" whispered Catherine, not noticing his sudden sadness from the table beside them.

"And nothing was wrong, Brass just wanted me to phone Sara and get us to talk," he didn't know how to explain to her how it felt to hear Sara's voice. How it had been like taking a sip of water on a hot summer day. It had been refreshing. "She wants to work things out." He added after a brief pause.

"Of course she does," spoke Catherine, knowing full well that Sara wouldn't give up so easily on her marriage. She had fought for years to get Grissom to admit his feelings for her. She wouldn't just give up on him like he had it seemed.

"I want to," he spoke quietly more to himself then to his friend. He just didn't know how to go about doing it. He wasn't good when it came to stuff like this. He couldn't help but feel the same way he did when he had first started to feel something for Sara. He had known for years that she was more then just a friend . But he had never been good on acting on those feelings. He had failed her numerous times but she had always been patient with him and eventually they had gotten it right. Or he had. He was not afraid of rejection this time for he knew that Sara loved him. He was more afraid that it was too late. That if they did decided to try again that he would screw it up once again. "I'm flying out next month after the term is over," he spoke his blue eyes finally focusing on Catherine's.

"You are going to fight for her?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and staring at her friend.

"I'm going to try," he replied with a shrug. He knew he had screwed up in the past but he wanted to make it right. He had fought for Sara once before and was hoping that he could do it again.

* * *

Sara was seated in the break room, eating her dinner or trying to at least. She was finding she had little to no appetite nowadays. Her mind was too occupied to think about food at the moment. It was usually the cases she was working on that triggered this. But today it was her marriage. Grissom had promised that he would phone her later on when she was at home. She wondered if he would stay true to his word. A part of her was still in denial that their last conversation had happened. That he had phoned her and they had talked. That they both had agreed that they were unhappy and wanted to work at their marriage or what was left of it. Chewing on her lower lip, she pushed her untouched salad away and let her thought drift to a happier time...

_She couldn't help but smile as she turned onto her side and looked over at the 190 pound man that lay close beside her on the small cote. She still couldn't believe that he was really here. That after months of wishing and hoping and dreaming that he was finally here in the flesh beside her. _

_Making sure she wasn't dreaming, she slowly lay a hand on his bare chest, feeling the pounding of his heart beneath her palm. He really was here, thought Sara to herself once again as the corners of her month once again turned up into a grin. _

_Gil Grissom had chased after her...to the middle of the rain forest. He had come back to her._

_"What are you smiling at?" asked the body which lay beside her. He was propped up on his elbow, his blue eyes staring deeply into her brown ones. _

_"Just you," whispered back Sara as she leaned forwarded and captured his lips with hers. _

_After his arrival just over 24 hours ago, they had not left the tent that was her home. They couldn't seem to get enough of one another. They had made love numerous times already, taking breaks in between sessions to doze or to use the bathroom, which was the vast rain forest which surrounded them. It was just the two of them now as they continued to kiss on the cote as the rain pelted down outside..._

Sara hadn't realized she had fallen asleep as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her awake. "Sara," spoke Greg as he looked down towards her.

"Hi," she murmured as she slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the man before her.

"Catching Zs on the job, tsk tsk," teased Greg as he took the seat beside her.

"Just thinking," she commented as she rubbed her face and gave Greg a small smile. There was an awkward pause between the two friends as Greg continued to gaze at Sara with concern. It wasn't rare to find her sleeping in the middle of the break room. But he was still worried about her. He hadn't spoken to her since that incident before shift.

"Look, Sara. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said about Grissom, " spoke the younger CSI. "It was out of line. I just hate what he did to you. That he just threw away your relationship with a phone call, like it was nothing."

Sara's brown eyes locked with Greg's at this. She didn't say anything at first before placing a hand on top of his. "It's okay. I thought he was a bastard too," she spoke, attempting to make a joke.

Greg let out a dry laugh at this. He knew she was trying to cover up for how she was really feeling. He knew she didn't want his pity, so he quickly changed the subject. "So you said he phone you?"

Sara swallowed over the lump in her throat. Her gaze falling onto the surface of the table, "He phoned this morning. Brass had phoned him, saying he needed to phone me. He had thought something had happened." Her voice trailed off as she once again thought back to that phone call.

"Did he say anything?" asked Greg with curiosity.

Sara let out a deep breath, "He said he missed me." Her eyes filled with tears as she smiled weakly at Greg. "We are going to try...or at least so he says," she added with a shrug of her shoulder. A sadness once again appearing in the depths of her eyes. She wasn't sure what the future held for them.

"You don't want to?"

"No, I do. I love the man to death. I never wanted to get a divorce. That was his idea. He just wanted me to be happy," she explained, going over the facts again why her marriage had ended. "He regrets it. He wants me to be his wife.." her voice trailed off once again.

"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" asked Greg in confusion as a tear rolled down her cheeks. Shouldn't she be happy about all this?

"It is!" she answered, " it is good."

"Then why the tears?" he asked, lowering his voice and edging his seat closer to hers. He hand the back of his arm draped on the back of her chair.

"I'm scared," she admitted, as she wiped the tears away from her cheek. "I have always loved the man. And I'm scared that he won't keep his word, Greg. That he won't come back to me." She had to look away at this. It was suddenly all to much for her. Her heart ached for him. To feel his arms around her at that moment but instead she felt Greg's skinny arms wrap around her, pulling her into an embrace. He hated to see her like this.

"Grissom has always been a man of his word," whispered Greg towards her as she cried silent tears into the collar of his shirt. "If he says he is coming back for you, then he will."

Sara didn't say anything at this. She wanted to believe Greg but a part of her wasn't sure anymore. So much had happened since they had last saw one another. She wasn't really sure who Grissom was anymore.

* * *

After the waitress had taken their usual order, waffles and a side of bacon for Brass, the detective turned towards her. There was kindness in his eyes as he smiled at her. He didn't want to interrogate her. He just wanted to be there for her. There had been a few times over the last few years that they had sat like this as they were now. Times when Grissom had screwed up and Sara had gotten hurt. In the earlier stages of their romantic relationship, Brass had been the only one to know about her and Grissom. He was the only person she could turn to when Grissom was driving her crazy. After they had had their first fight, Brass had dragged her to the dinner to confess what was on her mind. The other time had been when Grissom had left on sabbatical for five weeks without discussing it with her before hand. And here they were, years later discussing the falling apart of her marriage.

"So," began the detective as he poured sugar into his coffee.

"So," echoed back Sara, matching Brass's tone. She had her elbows resting on the surface of the table, her chin resting in her hands.

"What happened?" he asked as he took a spoon and began to stir the sugar into the black liquid before licking it clean.

"We talked," she replied in a low voice as she turned her attention away from the detective and out the diner window. "He wants to try again. He says he is going to come back to Las Vegas after his term is up at the school." She lay it out for him fact by fact.

"When's that?" asked Brass as he lay the spoon down onto the paper napkin beside him and brought the coffee to his lips.

"In a month," she answered, her voice filling slightly with emotion. A month was a long time to have to wait but she knew he couldn't just get up and leave his job. And she had no desire to travel all the way to Paris to seek him out. She wanted him to come to her on his own terms. If he really wanted to be with her and to work this out, then he had to make the first move. She was tired of being the first one to do so.

"Then what happens?"

"I'm not really sure," answered Sara as she turned her sorrowful eyes back onto Brass. "We hadn't really discussed that yet. He just promised me he would come back." She could feel her eyes filling once again with tears but quickly blinked them away.

"Well, one step at a time I guess right," replied Brass, attempting to make a joke. If he could he would fly out to Paris himself and force Grissom on a plane. But they both knew that that wouldn't work. The former CSI had to come back on his own time, on his own terms.

Sara just held the older man's gaze for a second longer, a sad smile appearing on her face as she shrugged. Just then, they were interrupted by the vibrating of her cell phone against the surface of the table. They both jumped at this as they turned to look at the phone.

"It's him," commented Sara as she looked from the phone and up towards Brass. The detective smiled at her, "take it!" he whispered as he reached over and placed the phone into her hand.

Sara nodded her head as she slowly wrapped her hand around the vibrating phone and tapped at the call screen. "Hi," she whispered softly into the phone, a second later. Her eyes lingered on Brass for a second before they shyly looked away and once again focused onto the scenery outside. Her heart was beating loudly with nerves as she heard his voice in her ear.

"Hi," he whispered back, "Is this a bad time?" he asked, noting her hesitation.

"No, no it's good! I'm just having breakfast with Brass," she answered, shooting Brass a quick gaze in his direction. The detective's eyebrows rose slightly at hearing his name but didn't say anything as he continued to drink his coffee.

He continued to watch her for a moment. Watching as she moved the phone to her other ear and let out a soft chuckle at something Grissom had said. It was then, he noticed the ring. Her left hand was resting, palm down on the table. The simple rose gold band catching the light as she curled her fingers slightly.

He couldn't help but smile at this. It was the first time in weeks he was seeing the ring.

Maybe, there really was such a thing as a happy ending, thought the officer to himself as he continue to study Sara's profile, watching as a smile spread across her face.

* * *

More will be coming soon! Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review, love hearing from you!

Julie


	3. It Started With An Embrace

Do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Okay I know it's been some time since I updated this story. But I'm back for now.

Also, thanks so much for everyone who had reviewed and followed this story. It means a lot, the support. :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Sara lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was finding that she could not sleep, like usual. She was thinking about her marriage. She had talked to her husband almost every day since that morning, almost a week ago now. However, she still felt sad and lonely. She knew that Gil cared for her and loved her. But she wasn't sure if that was enough anymore. She needed something else from her husband. They had talked but not really talked talked like she wanted too. They were saving it until he came back to Las Vegas. If he did come back...

Of course he had promised her but she wasn't sure if he was just pulling her leg and telling her what she wanted to hear. She hated doubting him. But he hadn't given her much to go on. They hadn't seen each other in a while. She feared they would never really see each other again.

At this unpleasant thought, Sara turned onto her side and tried to think of a happier time. A time when she knew that he wanted to be with her like she had wanted for years previous. A slight smile appeared on her face as she hugged her pillow close to her...

_May-2005_

_The red and blue lights from the dozen or so police cars flashed across her face as she stood there in the coldness of the night, watching as an ambulance drove off into the distance. Her arms were wrapped around her thin frame as she tried to keep warm._

_The Nevada desert was filled with sound and movement as people began to rope off the crime scene. However, Sara didn't notice any of this. She was too deep in thought and continued to stare out to the spot where the ambulance had been before it had driven off to Desert Palms Hospital. She couldn't believe that it was all over, that they had found Nick, that he wasn't dead. They had gotten there just in time to rescue him. And now he was on his way to Desert Palms, were he would be able to get help for his wounds. _

_The last hour had been all a blur to her. From finding out were Nick was entombed, to the long drive out here, to watching as Warrick dug into the soft earth of the desert until the edge of the shovel had hit something hard. As all this had happened, she had felt helpless. It seemed as if she had been watching everyone else rush about and do things, while she had just stood there, watching from afar. She felt like her twelve year old self again standing on the threshold of her parents bedroom; looking down at the lifeless body of her father lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. She had been so lost at that moment. So confused as to what had happened. _

_She was still in a daze now as she stood there looking down into the hole that Warrick had made. _

_"Sara," whispered Grissom, coming up behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder._

_Too deep in her thoughts, she did not hear him at first. _

_"Sara," he repeated again, this time a little louder._

_Sara turned at this, her brown eyes meeting Grissom's blue ones. There was a haunted look on her face. The same look that had played on her face as she had confessed to him about her childhood and the ghosts of her past, he noted. "Sara, sweetie," began Grissom. He was talking to her like one would a small child. "It's time to go. Nicky's at the hospital," he explained as his blue eyes continued to study her face with concern. His hand had now moved from her shoulder to the crook of her arm, gently guiding her away from the scene. _

_Sara did not protest at this. She just continued to look at him with blank eyes as he led her towards the SUV. They weren't needed here anymore. The swing shift had already arrived and had begun to process the scene. Ecklie had let the nightshift team, plus Catherine and Warrick, off for the night. They had all been through a lot in the past few days. They needed the break. _

_They passed Brass and Greg, who were in deep conversation with one another. Both men looked up at their approach. "I'm heading to the hospital. Do you need a lift?" Grissom asked of Greg. He already knew that Brass needed to stay behind and look after the processing of the scene. _

_"Um...yeah," murmured Greg as he ran his hand through his spiked hair. He had not really thought about how he was going to get to the hospital. Just like Sara, he was still in shock over what had almost happened to Nick. He couldn't quite believe it was over either. The last 24 hours had been an adrenaline rush for all of them. _

_The three of them left Brass and headed towards the SUV. It was still parked just on the edge of the desert, among the rest of the police cars. _

_As Greg pulled opened the back seat door and climbed in, Grissom opened the passenger door for Sara. His blue eyes burned into her with concern as he stood there holding the door open._

_"I'm fine," she whispered in a soft voice that only he could hear. Her brown eyes looked up into his. She gave him a soft smile, letting him know there was nothing to worry about. However, her eyes still bore that haunted look._

_"Sara," Grissom replied, reaching out and touching the crook of her arm. _

_"No, Grissom. I'm fine," spoke Sara, an edge in her voice. She knew that he wanted her to pour what she was feeling at the moment out but she didn't want to. She was fine. Nick was the one with a problem. He was the one fighting for his life. Not her. "Just drop it!" she snapped as she shook him off and climbed into the passenger seat. _

_Sighing at this, Grissom shut the door and walked around the front of the vehicle to the driver's side. He knew there was no point in fighting with her, at least at this moment. He knew she was putting up walls and once again stepping into her dark world. However, this worried him greatly. Over the past months, she had opened up to him more and more._

* * *

_The scent of bleach filled their nostrils as they made their way down the hallway of the hospital. Grissom walked slightly behind Sara and Greg, who were about a foot ahead of him. His blues eyes bore into Sara's back. He was watching her with caution. He was concern of her well being. On the car ride over to the hospital, she had not spoken a word. She had stared out the car window, watching the scenery blaze. He hated how silent she could be at times like these. It scared him. _

_However, no matter how hard he tried, Sara continued to ignore his gaze on her. She knew that he was watching her every step and movement but she wouldn't let him have the satisfaction that he was right. She wasn't the victim here. Nick was. She didn't need the looks of concerns that her boss kept on giving her. She wasn't that twelve year old girl anymore. She was a thirty something year old woman who didn't need to be babied. Sara held her head up high as she walked in step with Greg. The sounds of their footsteps echoed throughout the quiet hallway. _

_Neither knew what really to say at this moment to each other. So they walked in silence towards the waiting room that one of the nurse's had pointed them too. _

_Both Catherine and Warrick were seated in the waiting room, waiting on word on Nick as the three of them enter the small waiting space. They stood there for a second shoulder to shoulder, awkwardly looking on at their two coworkers who were seated in a tight embrace with one another. _

_"Is there any word?" asked Grissom, breaking the silence. _

_Both Catherine and Warrick looked up at their supervisor at this. They had not heard them approach. _

_Warrick rubbed his eye with the back of his hand as he pulled away from Catherine. Once arriving at the hospital with Nick, they had been told to wait in the waiting room while Nick was rushed off to a trauma room. It was there they waited to hear news on their friend. Just a few moments ago before the rest of the group had arrived, Catherine had broken down in sobs on his shoulder. It had hurt him so much to see her cry like that. He knew exactly how she was feeling. They were all feeling the same way about seeing their dear friend coming so close to dying before their eyes. _

_Catherine had not shed a single tear over the hours that Nick had been kidnapped. She had tried to remain calm and positive through the whole ideal but all that had gone away as she had stood in that ambulance looking down on Nick lying in the stretcher. She had finally just let herself go after arriving at the hospital and still holding on to that image of Nick lying helpless after they had pulled him out just as the coffin had exploded. How child like he had been. The strong happy Texan was gone and replaced with a small terrified boy. Letting out all the build up emotion she had been harvesting inside, she had cried like she had never cried before. _

_Both Catherine and Warrick had shaken their heads in union at their supervisor's question. There was no word yet on Nick yet. "We just know that Nick suffered from fire ant bits and stings but that is all. The paramedics didn't tell us anything else," spoke Warrick quietly before glancing over at Catherine. She met his eyes and smiled slightly at him, letting him know that she was okay now. _

_Grissom nodded his head at this before following Sara and Greg to the other side of the room and taking a seat. Sara sat in between him and Greg. She was on Grissom's left hand side. It was there that they waited. Grissom shifted his eyes in Sara's direction. He so badly wanted to reach out and take her hand in his. But he resisted. He knew that was the last thing that Sara wanted at the moment. So instead in clasped his hands together in his lap and turned his attention onto the clock on the wall, counting down the minutes until the doctor arrived. _

_Sara stood there chewing the skin around her thumb nail, a nervous habit she had developed over the years. She stood alone in the waiting room, looking out onto the street below. The rest of them were visiting Nick. She had stayed behind. She wasn't ready to face him. She was afraid to. She wasn't good at stuff like this. Putting on a positive face, a smile when some one she cared about was hurt. She never knew what to say or how to act. Especially when she had just watched one of her good friends struggle like they all had with Nick. Times like these always brought her back to her childhood. As she stood, helpless looking down at her father's body. Her mother in hysterics, a bloody knife in her hands. Shaking her head slightly, she watched as the sun began to rise. It was going to be a beautiful day. A fresh start. She was too lost in thought to hear Grissom come up behind her. _

_He hesitated at first before slowly placing a hand on her shoulder, awaking her from her thoughts. "Sara," he whispered gently into her ear. He knew it was time to get her home. He knew how hard it was for her to be here. He had noticed immediately that she wasn't there amongst the rest of them in Nick's room. But no one else seemed to have or if they had they had not questioned it. Nick had been everyone's main focus. They had only been allowed to visit him for a short thirty minutes before being shooed out by the nurse. Nick needed his rest. _

_Catherine, Warrick, Greg and himself had all stood outside of the hallway for a brief moment or two, before Grissom had sent them all home. His team needed rest and to wash up. They had all deserved it after what they had been through in the last day. After the four of them had parted ways, Grissom had come back to the waiting room where he knew Sara would be. _

_At hearing her name spoken with such tenderness, Sara found the walls she had tried to build around her fall. She turned her attention away from the window and looked over her shoulder at him. Her brown eyes locking into the deep light blue of his. And it was in that moment she found that she could no longer hold back what she was feeling. The pain, the hurt, the exhaustion, the sadness, the hope, the relief from the pass hours came out all together in one giant bundle as she threw her arms around Grissom's neck and cried into the nape of his neck. She realized she was tired of fighting. Tired of holding back her emotions and blocking everyone out. Especially, someone who wanted her to pour her emotions to him, like she knew Grissom wanted her too. He wanted in and she was slowly learning how to. _

_Grissom found himself taken a step back at the sudden force of Sara's body against his. He stood there for a brief second, his arms hanging by his sides before he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist. Allowing himself to not only comfort her but comfort himself as well. He closed his eyes as he allowed himself to breath in the heavenly scent of Sara that he found so intoxicating. He had smelt this scent of hers before but only in passing or by accident when she stood close to him while looking over a body or over a piece of evidence in the lab. However, nothing like this. _

_Months earlier, when she had confided in him of her past, he had held her close like he did now but he had not allowed his nose to fully indulge in the smell of her. He had needed to stay focused on her needs. But at this moment, as they embraced one another, he was losing all reasonable thought and allowing his senses to take over. With his eyes still closed, he tilted his head downwards so that his lips just barely touched the side of her neck. Like the flutter of a butterfly's wings, the action was soft and quick as he deeply inhaled her scent. _

_His hands, like his mouth seemed to have a mind of their own as they slowly slide down her back and up again, feeling every muscle and bone through the thin material of her t-shirt. He felt like an addict at that moment. Sara was his drug and he couldn't get enough of her. _

_Sara too found herself not being able to pull away from him. As she continued to allow her emotions to flow out of her in waves, she clung to him for dear life. Her fingers were clasped to the curls on the back of his neck as she breathed heavily. She had never before felt so much comfort in someone's arms before like she did when in Grissom's. _

_And it was in that moment that they both realized in someway that they could not live without one another. They had both witness how short life was and how one couldn't just wait around for things to get done. Nick had almost died tonight. This had seemed to awakening something in both of them. Something they weren't hundred percent sure of at the moment but would soon come to realize was love. Their love for each other. Both of them had spent a good portion of their life alone and realized that after today, they didn't want to be alone any longer. This was a new day. A fresh start. The beginning of change. Something they would had avoid at all costs but not today. Today, they embraced the change. _

_Time seemed to stay still for the two of them as they held one another. But in reality, the hug had only lasted a few seconds before they stepped apart. Meeting each other's eyes, Grissom smiled slightly, "Let me take you home." He spoke this as a statement, rather then a question for he already knew her answer as he continued to look into her eyes. Sara, returned the smile as she nodded her head slowly. And with that, the two of them left the hospital. However, their was a good foot of space between them as they walked out into the bright morning sunlight. Both desired more, to touch and explore one's bodies but were afraid too. These feeling were still new, fresh, raw. _

_Silence filled the interior of Grissom's SUV once again as they drove through the streets of Las Vegas. Neither spoke about what had happened back at the hospital. Neither dared to bring it up for being afraid that it had only been a dream, a fragment of the imagination in some way. That it was all in their heads. _

_This is what Sara feared as she stared out the window, not daring to look in Grissom's direction. Even though she very much wanted to. She willed herself not too. She feared that what had happened at the hospital was just all in her head. That the way Grissom had held her and touched her with such intimacy, such care, such tenderness had been her reading too much into something or her covering the truth. That he had really just hugged her like a friend comforting another friend. She had been in this situation before, where she had read too much into Grissom's actions towards her. Misreading his feelings for something more, making her fill with hope, only to having her heart be crushed in the end. But as much as her mind argued with her heart on this matter. She knew deep down inside that this time it had really happened. That Grissom had showed in some small way that he shared the same feelings. But as much as her heart fluttered with excitement at the possibility at this was finally the moment, she talked herself out of it. Again, slowly rebuilding the walls around her. Protecting herself from being disappointed yet again. _

_Grissom wondered what she was thinking about as he drove down the quiet streets of Las Vegas towards Sara's house. He hadn't had to ask for directions for he already knew the address by heart. He desperately wanted to kiss her and resume what had started back at the hospital. But knew that wouldn't be a wise idea. He didn't want to lead Sara on like he had in the pass. If they were going to take their relationship to the next level, it had to be on slow footing. They only had one chance he knew to get it right and didn't want to screw it up like he had with all his pass relationships with women. He wasn't good at the whole dating thing. He was too much of a hermit. _

_Coming to a stop outside of Sara's apartment building, he turned the engine off and turned to look at Sara. His blue eyes pierced into hers. A look of concern was etched in his face as he took in the yet again haunted look on her face. "Sara," he whispered, "We're here!" _

_"Uh?" she murmured as she turned her attention from the window and over at him. She had not been paying attention. She had yet again been too lost in her thoughts to notice that they had arrived at their destination. _

_"We're here!" he stated again, pointing to out the passenger window and up at the familiar building. _

_Following his hand, her brown eyes looked up at the place she had called home for the passed six years, since arriving in Las Vegas. She nodded her head slowly as if confirming this. _

_"Come on, I will help you get inside," spoke Grissom as she made no movement of getting out of the car. _

_"Grissom, it's fine!" she whispered suddenly coming too. Her brown eyes locked with his as she reached out and placed a hand on his, which had just began to undo his seatbelt buckle. A current of electricity seemed to course through both of them as skin touched skin. The hairs on Grissom's arms stood up as he looked from where her hand rested over top of his to her face and back. _

_Sara blushed suddenly as she pulled her hand away. She was biting down on her lip as a thousand thoughts raced through her mind at once. She hadn't meant to touch Grissom like she had. She just didn't want him to come upstairs with her. She knew if he did, she wouldn't be able to turn him away. She hadn't been thinking clearly, just like she hadn't been back at the hospital when she had clung to him. _

_He continued to stare at her as she looked away as a deep crimson crept through her cheeks. He had never wanted someone so badly then he wanted her at this moment. _

_"Thank you for the ride," she whispered as she dared not to look at him. Her hands fumbled slightly with the buckle of the seat belt as she tried to get out of the SUV as quickly as she could. She hated how she always ended up looking like a complete fool around him. _

_"Anytime," he whispered, his voice was soft and tender as he suddenly reached out and touched the crook of her arm. He wanted her to meet his eye. _

_Sara, who had just opened the passenger door, stopped suddenly at his touch and finally allowed herself to surrender his blue eyes. Their eyes once again locking with one another. Time seemed to once again stand still for the two of them. Neither dared to speak a word or breath for that matter in case of scaring the moment away. Grissom who was still holding onto her elbow, slowly began to run his hand up her arm as his other reached over and caressed the side of her face. He desperately wanted to kiss her but didn't want to scare her. _

_Sara, sat in her seat frozen as she felt the softness of his fingers touch her skin. She held her breath as he leaned closer to her, so that their faces were just merge inches apart from one another. But before anything else could happen, the moment was broken by the sound of someone's car alarm going off. Snapping back to reality, Grissom withdrew his hands from Sara. His eyes blinking rapidly as if being suddenly jolted a wake from a deep sleep. Sara held Grissom's gaze for a second longer before bolting out of the SUV and making her escape. She waved quickly to him before slamming the car door and racing towards the building. _

* * *

Thanks for reading and leave a review if you want more!

Julie


	4. Bubble Bathes and Italian Food

Do not own CSI or any of the characters.

I know it's been a while since I last updated. Just didn't know where I was taking this story but I hope to be back. I have a couple of chapters up my sleeve. :)

* * *

Grissom stood out on the balcony of his flat. He had a glass of wine in his hand and Hank at his feet. He was suppose to be heading out soon. It was one of his colleague's at the department birthday. The whole department would be there. The party was being held at a small Italian restaurant. The best pasta in town, according to one of his other colleagues.

Grissom couldn't help but smile at the irony of this. That he was in the capital of France. Some of the best food in the world could be found here. And they were going out for Italian. Figures, he thought to himself. No one ever appreciated what they had right in front of them.

His thoughts immediately drifted to Sara at this. A wave of guilt washed over him as the cold night breeze brushed against his skin. Closing his eyes, he drained the remainder of his wine before heading back inside the flat. He still needed to get dressed...

_September-2005_

_Grissom pretended to be reading one of DNA results done on the body found in the car, while he listened to Sofia and Greg pack up their papers and begin to get out of their seats. His eyes shifted over to were Sara was on his right hand side. He watched her as she tucked her hair behind her ear and began to rise from the table with the others. "Hey Sara," he heard Greg address her, "Do you want to go grab some breakfast with me at Frank's?" Grissom's ears perked at this. Over the last few months since that night at the hospital, their relationship had grown from just being colleagues and friends to a more intimate level. Or so he liked to think it had. They hadn't gone on any dates or anything really. But he had made it a point to seek her out after every shift and have breakfast with her. _

_He had wanted to get to know her from the beginning. If they were to start a intimate relationship together, he wanted to do it right and slowly and not rush in to anything. _

_He did not dare to look up from his paper as he felt her eyes on him for a second before turning to address the young CSI. "Ah, I don't know Greg, I'm pretty tired," she spoke towards Greg. He could tell she was waiting for him to interject. But he didn't. _

_"Come on Sara! You have bailed out on me the pass few times!" spoke Greg, teasing her lightly, "My treat!" he added after a second. Grissom didn't have to look up to know that Greg was smiling at Sara and that she was smiling back. He felt her eyes fall on him yet again. This time he allowed himself to met them. He nodded his head towards her. He was giving her permission to go with Greg. _

_"Ahhh," mumbled Sara as her voice trailed off slightly. She was torn between hanging out with Greg or staying and seeing if Grissom wanted to do something. They didn't have defiant plans together. It had just become a thing over the last month that they would have breakfast together. She just assumed that today wouldn't be any different. A look of panic then appeared on her face that she had just assumed that Grissom would want to have breakfast with her. Had she just become too use to spending time with him, that she just assumed that he would want to spend his free time with her? she thought to herself. Grissom just gave her a small smile if knowing what she was thinking. "I think you should go with Greg," he spoke as he placed the piece of paper into the file before him and closed it. _

_"You do?" cried both Sara and Greg in shock at this notion. _

_"Yes I do. Greg seems eager for you to join him. And it would be good for you to get out of the lab every once in a while Sara," explained Grissom slowly as he rose to his feet. He smiled at both of them, before shifting his eyes towards Sara and winking at her. He could tell that she was pissed but it was better this way. She needed to spend time with someone other then himself. _

_"I guess I am going to breakfast with you," he heard Sara speak to Greg as he left the room and headed towards his office. He needed to drop of the case files before heading over to the AV lab, where he had Archie working on something for him. However on his way he was stopped by Nick, who asked if he wanted to join him and Warrick at the Peppermill to celebrate Warrick's marriage. He didn't usually go out to drink after work but he thought maybe a few hours hanging out with the guys would do him some good. So he agreed he would, he just needed a moment. _

* * *

Sara let out a sigh as she leaned against her locker. She was exhausted. She had just pulled a double on a homicide.

Old Sara, would have hated wrapping up her case, just knowing she would be forced to go home. But Sara, wasn't as young as she once was. Her body ached more now. Her muscles were stiff and swore from staying in one position for too long as she processed the scene. She was happy to be able to go home. She was looking forwarded to having a long bath before curling up in bed.

Yes, the house was depressing with her just living in it now. But she tried not to dwell on that too much as she opened her eyes and began to gather her strength for the long walk out of the lab and into the parking lot...

_It was just past ten in the morning as Sara arrived home after having breakfast with Greg. Locking the front door behind her, she placed her purse and coat onto the hook by the door before kicking off her shoes. She was exhausted from working a double shift from the night before. She was glad that she had the night off for once as she made her way into the bathroom. A long bubble bath was in need. _

_Turning on the hot water of the tub, she reached for the bottle of bubble bath that rested on the edge of the tub and poured a generous amount into the water. As the tub filled, she walked back into the living room and over to the front door. Reaching for her purse yet again, she pulled out her cell phone before hanging the bag back up on the hook. She then walked back into the bathroom. Placing her phone on the small stepping stood that she kept beside the tub as a makeshift table, she stood up and began to undress. Stripping down to her birthday suit , she pulled her hair into a knot before stepping into the almost full tub. She splashed the water around herself for a moment or two as she waited for the tub to fill a bit more before leaning over and turning off the water. She then lean back in the water and closed her eyes, letting the sensation of the hot water take over. _

_She figured she must of drifted off for a moment or two because the next thing she recalled was being awoken by the sound of her cell phone going off. Suddenly sitting up, Sara quickly dried her hand on a towel hanging from the rack beside her before reaching for her phone. She couldn't help but grin as she noted the name on the caller display. _

_"Hi," she whispered into the phone. _

_"Hi," spoke Grissom back. He had just left the Peppermill. He had only allowed himself to have one beer before going home. He was just coming through the front door of his town house when he decided to give Sara a call. A huge grin was plastered on his face at just hearing her voice. "How was breakfast?" he asked as he closed the door behind him and dropped his briefcase onto the floor. _

_"Breakfast was good...not the say without you but still good," she replied as she sank back slightly into the bathwater. _

_"Well, as long as you had fun," began Grissom as he pressed the phone between his shoulder and cheek, while he untied the laces of his work boots. "That's the main thing!"_

_"I heard you went to the Peppermill," spoke Sara softly as she lifted and stretched one of her long legs. "Did you have fun?" There was nothing in her tone that suggested she was upset about him going out with the boys, she was just miserly curious. _

_"Not really," spoke Grissom with honesty. _

_"Why not?"_

_"Because you weren't there," his voice was a tad lower now as he confess this little bit of information to her. He was trying to be more honest with her and be more open about his feelings._

_Sara couldn't help but smile into the phone at this, "Well, I noticed that we both have the night off tonight, maybe we could do dinner?" she asked. She knew she was taking a bold step here. But she wanted to take the next step. They had gotten closer in the last few months but sometimes it seemed like they were still dancing around each other. Yes there was flirting, breakfast after shifts and they practically worked each case together. But nothing really official had happened._

_"Like a date?" asked Grissom after a brief pause. _

_"I guess so," murmured Sara into the phone. _

_"Okay."_

_"Okay what?" asked Sara, mildly confused of his answer. Was he saying okay to dinner or just saying okay in general, like he understood what she wanted from him? _

_"Okay, lets have dinner," he replied into the phone as he walked through the quiet townhouse and into the bedroom. "It's a date!" he added, just to make sure she understood that he wanted to move to the next level in their relationship. That he was ready. _

_"Great!" replied Sara, grinning like a teenager who had just gotten asked out by the hottest guy in school. She was glad that Grissom couldn't see her face at that moment. _

_"Great!" echoed Grissom, who too was smiling slightly at this turn of events. _

_Before hanging up with one another, they agreed that Grissom would pick Sara up at 6. However, Grissom wouldn't tell her where they were heading, he already had a place in mind. _

* * *

"Now, you be a good boy Hank while I am gone," spoke Grissom as he appeared over the rims of his glasses to the large boxer, "You understand?"

Hank just continued to stare up at his owner with those big brown eyes of his.

Grissom held his gaze for a second before sighing.

He really needed to get out more, he thought to himself as he patted Hank softly on the head before straightening his back. He had five more minutes before he had to leave for the party.

He didn't really feel like going. He rather stay in with Hank and do a puzzle or something. But he had promised he would come. He had missed the last two parties the department had thrown. If he missed a third, he would be in some deep shit. He didn't want to have to deal with that. Especially since this would probably be the last department party he would be attending for a while. Since he was heading back to the states in three weeks to repair his marriage. He didn't think he would be returning to teach for another semester for a while or so he hoped. He didn't know what would happen after he saw Sara face to face and they finally talked in person about the remains of their marriage.

He suddenly then wished Sara was here to go with him.

She always made things like these so much more bearable and sometimes fun for him. He hated going solo. But he didn't really have a choice in the matter. Sara was miles away in America. And he knew it was partly his fault for that...

_Butterflies fluttered in the pit of Grissom's stomach as he reached the landing of Sara's apartment floor and made his way towards her door. He was both excited and nervous at the possibility of what this night could lead too. He wasn't thinking of sex, but that notion wasn't too far from his mind. However, tonight he had the feeling was the start of the rest of his life. _

_Approaching the door, he shifted the small potted plant he held in the crook of his right arm to his left before raising a hand and tapping loudly onto the wooden door. He croaked his ear to the door, making out the sound of movement from the other side, followed by someone swearing underneath their breath. He couldn't help but smile a little at the thought that he had caught Sara by surprise._

_"Coming!" cried Sara on the other side. Her eyes darting towards the clock of the microwave. It was six on the dot. Of course Grissom would be exactly on time, she thought to herself as she struggled to do up the strap of her heels. _

_Since she didn't know where they were headed, she had dressed casual but still nice. After they had hung up, she had stumbled out of the tub and into her bedroom. Her exhaustion she had been feeling earlier had been replaced with adrenaline and anxiety at her possible date with Grissom. She had stood in front of her closet for what seemed like hours trying to find the perfect outfit to wear. She didn't go on many dates and when she did, she played it safe with either a simple plum silk wrap dress or a sweater and slimming black pants. However this wasn't just any old date. It was with someone she had been in love with for years now. She wanted to wear something special for Grissom. Something that would blow him away. She had even debated about calling Catherine on the matter but quickly changed her mind. Involving the blonde would had been too risky. Her next idea had been to go shopping and find something completely new to wear. But that thought had cause her more nerves and anxiety. She wasn't good at shopping._

_So in the end she had settled on a pair of black cigarette pants that she sometimes wore in court. The pants were slimming, making her already skinny long legs appear every skinner. They came just slightly above her ankle, highlighting the smallness of them. They were slightly high-waisted as well, which helped shaped her small firm butt. _

_On top she was wearing a silk sapphire blue tank top which was tucked into the pants and a cropped pale blue tweed blazer, something she had bought ages ago on sale and had never wore. She also had a black belt on with rose gold hardware, which matched the simple rose gold chain necklace she was wearing. Her hair she had left straight and down from earlier. Her makeup was fresh faced, with light brown eye shadow and a little kohl along the top of her lashes and mascara. She also wore a nude pink lip. It just enhanced her natural features. For her shoes, she had gone for a pair of black strappy sandals, which had a three inch heel. _

_After doing up her strap, she stood up and reached for her small clutch bag which was on the kitchen island and made her way towards the door. _

_"Hi," she greeted to Grissom warmly as she opened the door and locked eyes with him._

_Grissom opened his mouth to say hi back but found he could not form the words as his eyes drifted from her face and down her body. This was a new side of Sara he had never really seen. She had always been beautiful to him and assumed her body was too but she always kept it well hidden at work by wearing loose fitting wide legged jeans and pants and shapeless tanks and t-shirts. He knew she did this for a reason. She like to be professional on the job. However, he wouldn't appose if she decided to come to the lab dressed like that every shift. "You look...st-unning," he managed to stutter after a second had passed and he focused his eyes back onto her face. _

_"Thanks," she murmured, a deep blush flushing her cheeks as a smile spread across her face. _

_"You look nice, yourself," she added, gesturing to the black suit he was wearing. It was his court suit but she didn't care. He always looked good in it. She notice however, he had kept it casual by just wearing a simple baby blue button down shirt with it that brought out the colour in his eyes. He didn't have a tie on and had kept the first few button of the shirt open, revealing the soft grey hairs at the top of his chest. She had a deep urge to throw herself at him at that moment and run her hands through the hairs but restrained her self as she focused her eyes onto the plant in his hand._

_Following her gaze, he held up the plant to her, "This is for you," he murmured, "I thought of bringing flowers but flowers always die after a few days. I thought you would appreciate a plant more," he continued to nervously explain to her. _

_"I do!" she agreed, smiling at him. She could tell he was nervous that she wouldn't like it. "Thank you!" she added as she took the small cactus from him and walked back into her apartment to put it on the windowsill where the other plant he had given her years ago still was. Grissom stood awkwardly in the threshold of the door as she did this. "Thank you, she spoke again as she made her way back towards him, "I love it!" _

_"You are welcome," he replied back, giving her a small smile. A slight awkward silence feel over the two of them as they continued to stand in the doorway of her apartment, "Shall we?" asked Grissom, his blue eyes looking into hers. _

_"We shall!" answered Sara back in a quiet voice, giving him a small smile before they stepped back into the hallway and she turned to lock her apartment door. _

_"So where are you taking me?" asked Sara, her tone was light and playful as she turned in her seat to look over at Grissom who was driving._

_"That is a secret!" replied back Grissom, giving her a playful wink as he looked at her for a brief moment before turning his attention back onto the road. _

_Sara could help but chuckle softly at the boyish on his face as he told her this. She loved how that even though it was her idea to go out for dinner, that he had taken it in his hands to plan the whole thing. This man never stopped amazing her, she thought to herself as she turned her attention to the passing scenery of the Vegas strip. She had a pretty good idea that where ever he was taking her it would be slightly out of town, where they could enjoy a meal in private and not have to worry about running into anyone from the lab. _

_About a half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. From the outside it didn't look like much, noted Sara, just your standard Italian restaurant. However as they made they're way inside, Sara quickly changed her mind. The interior of the restaurant was painted like the outside patio of a cafe at night in Rome. The walls were covered in murals that looked straight out from photographs of Rome at night. There were trees and plants through out the dinning room, adding to that night scene. There was even a small fountain in the centre. "Wow," whispered Sara under her breath as she took it all in. _

_Grissom's eyes pierced into her face, watching her. He couldn't help but smile at her reaction. He was glad that she liked it. _

_"Good evening, table for two?" asked the hostess suddenly appearing in front of them._

_"Yes, thank you," replied Grissom turning his attention away from Sara. _

_"Follow me!" replied the hostess, smiling cheerfully at couple as she grabbed two menus and began to walked through the dinning room._

_Gently reaching out, Grissom placed a hand on the small of Sara's back as he guided her though the crowded restaurant. _

_Once they were seat at their table, which was just off to the right hand side of the restaurant beneath a tree of sorts that was covered in white Christmas lights, Grissom began to explain to Sara how he had first discovered this place. "It had been when I first moved to Las Vegas and my mother had come down to visit me. She hadn't wanted to eat on the strip, so after driving around for like seemed like hours, we finally came across this place. It was the only place she approved of," added Grissom with a chuckle as he remembered that day. He had almost given up hope and just was going to go back to his small apartment he had been renting and order a pizza. He had still been new to the city at the time too and didn't know what was good to eat. But Carlo's had become one of his favorite places to eat out over the years. It was an family run business and served the best pasta in town in his opinion. _

_Sara smiled at this, holding his gaze for a second before looking down at the menu. She hoped that they had a variety of vegetarian options here, she thought to herself as her eyes scanned over the starters. _

_"And they make anything vegetarian ," he added as if reading her thoughts. _

_"That's good," replied Sara, once again looking up at him, touched at his thoughtfulness. That he had remembered. _

_Before they could say anymore they were interrupted by the waiter, who was a young Italian man, barely out of high school. "Hi there, my name is Luke and I will be your server for the evening. Is there any drinks I can start you off with?" he asked, looking from both to Sara and Grissom, a broad smile on his face. _

_Grissom looked over at Sara at this, "Do you want to share a bottle of wine?" he asked towards her, his deep blue eyes pouring into hers, sending slight shivers down her back. Sara nodded her head at this, "Sure!" _

_"Do you prefer red or white?" he asked, as he reached towards the list of wines that rested in the middle of the table. _

_"White please," replied Sara. _

_Grissom nodded his head before looking back towards the young waiter, "Can we have a bottle of __pinot grigio?"_

_"E__**x**__cellent choice sir!" spoke the waiter as he quickly wrote it down in the small notebook he held in his hands. He then quickly disappeared from their table. _

_Sara couldn't help but laugh as a sudden thought filled her mind. _

_"What's so funny?" asked Grissom, looking amused. _

_"Nothing, it just looks like that kid is barely out of high school, let alone old enough to drink. I just don't think he would know if the wine we just order is good or not," explained Sara towards Grissom, her eyes dropping slightly onto her menu. _

_"You are probably right," agreed Grissom with her. Her brown eyes looked up at this and locked with his. They were both grinning like teenagers. "So what's good here?" asked Sara, breaking the silence. _

_"Everything really," replied Grissom, turning his attention back onto his own menu. "All their pasta is home made and their pizza is cooked in a stone oven. It's all authentic Italian food."_

_Sara nodded her head at this. That still didn't help her deciding on what to order. "What are you getting?" _

_"Probably the ravioli," he answered. It was one of his favorite dishes there. "What about you?" he asked as he closed the menu and looked over at her. _

_"Not sure yet," spoke Sara, who was biting the inside of her cheek in concentration. "I'm either leaning towards the veggie pizza or the zucchini pasta salad." She looked up to meet Grissom's gaze on her. She could feel her cheeks warm as he continue to look on at her like that. A shy smile appeared on her face before she nervously dropped her eyes back onto the menu. _

_Soon afterwards the waiter returned with their bottle of wine and took their orders, leaving them alone once again. "I think a toast is called for," commented Sara as she wrapped her long fingers around her wine glass and gazed over to Grissom, who had just finished pouring himself a glass. _

_"A toast?" he asked, one eye brow raised. _

_"Yes, a toast," she answered, her dark eyes sparkling as she raised her glass to him, "To the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" She was quoting one of his favourite movies. _

_Grissom couldn't help but smile at this as he touched the edge of his glass to hers, "Cheers!" he whispered as he brought the glass to his lips, his eyes never leaving her face. _

_A comfortable silence then fell between them as they slowly drank their wine and continue to stare at one another. "You know Sara, we already have a friendship," whispered Grissom as he placed his wine glass onto the table and leaned forward in his seat. "I want this to be something more, you know that right?" he asked, a sudden look of worry appearing on his face. He now feared he hadn't made his notions clear enough to her. That he was ready to try for something more. _

_Sara couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Gil," she answered, reaching out and placing a hand on his which rested on the table. "I do know that. I know we already have a beautiful friendship. I was just merely using it as a figure of speech that...this," she spoke, gesturing to the two of them, " is the beginning of what I hope is something just as beautiful but more..." her voice trailed off as she felt him put his other hand on top of hers. They were both at an understanding at that moment. _

_"I'm all in," he whispered to her. _

_Sara smiled at this, "I'm all in too!" she whispered as she placed her other hand on top of his. _

_Their eyes were locked with one another and they continued to held hands. A deep understanding and agreement passed between them. _

_This was defiantly the start of a beautiful relationship. _

* * *

Grissom didn't bother to turn on the lights as he stumbled into the flat. It was just passed midnight. He had ended up staying longer at the party then he had originally planned on to. He had to admit he had had fun that night. The French always seemed to know how to throw a party. And the food had been good too. It hadn't been the best pasta he had ever tasted but it was still pretty good. He still thought Carlo's where he had taken Sara on their first date, served the best pasta, second to the pasta he had in Italy, of course.

He quietly closed the door behind him before making his way to the bedroom. He was in desperate need of sleep...

_"I had a nice time tonight, Gil," spoke Sara as she turned in her seat to face Grissom. They had just pulled up to her apartment complex. _

_"I had a nice time too, Sara," agreed Grissom as his blue eyes locked with hers. He desperately wanted to kiss her but didn't know how to proceed. As he pondered what would be the best way of doing so, he felt Sara's sudden warm touch on his cheeks. She was cupping both sides of his face as she pulled him closer to her. She gave him a sultry smile before capturing her lips with his. _

_Sealing the deal. _

* * *

I hope you all are enjoying these flashbacks as much as I am enjoying writing them.

Thanks for reading and please review!

Julie


	5. Bite Me

Do not own CSI or any of the characters.

Dialogue between Sara and Grissom at the scene is taken from the episode, Bite Me. And Yes, this is another flashback. A smutty one ;).

* * *

_October-2005_

_Sara stood in the bedroom of the crime scene. They were investigating the death of Becky Lester. Her husband had found her on the stairs in a pool of her own blood. However the evidence suggested otherwise that she had died from falling down the stairs like they had first thought. _

_Sara pinned it on the husband but it was too early to tell. As she processed the room, Grissom joined her. Since they had started dating, she had noted that he always put them working the same case. She liked this idea of him wanting to be with her when ever he could, even if it was just processing a scene together. _

_He wanted to be close to her. _

_And this case didn't seem to be any different. Even though the whole team was working it, Grissom had made sure to come upstairs and check up on her. _

_"Hey," she greeted softly towards him as he entered the room, shining his flash light on her. She flashed hers on him as well before they both lowered them. The room was dark as the blinds were still shut, blocking out the morning sunlight from coming in. She wanted to say something to him as they continued to stare at one another. But they had both decided to remain professional with one another when on the clock. So she then began to tell him what she had noted so far._

_"Husband slept in the other room. His reading glasses were on the nightstand, " she began to explain, knowing that he had probably already figured this out by going through the other rooms but she told him anyways. "Clothing in the dresser." _

_"That's odd!" he observed, his eyes never leaving her face as he leaned slightly against the door frame. " A man and a woman who don't share a bedroom, arrange to have a night alone. Send their daughter to a relative. Go out for dinner. Have drinks by the pool. But they sleep in separate bedrooms." As he explained all this, he watched as she began to look under the sheets of the bed before straightening her back. He could tell she was nervous with having him there. _

_They had been seen each other for about a month now but hadn't allowed for the relationship to move to the next level yet. They both wanted too, they just didn't want to rush it. For they knew that once they crossed that line, there was no going back. _

_"Maybe," she spoke towards him, trying to explain the mystery of the couple, "one of them snored or had insomnia. Or like to work at night!" There were many reasons why a couple didn't share the same bed. She knew she was rambling a little but he made her nervous as he continued to stand there, just looking at her like that. _

_"Or maybe they were suffocating each other and he couldn't breath," he pointed out, adding his own two sense. Grissom didn't mean anything when he said this, he was merely thinking of the couple and not of their situation. _

_However Sara couldn't help but think he was suggesting something else? Where they suffocating each other? Did he change his mind already and wanted out? Had she screwed up that badly already? she thought to herself as she quickly looked away from him and turned her attention towards the nightstand behind her and began to rummage through it. Her mind racing a mile a minute as she did so. _

_Grissom frowned slightly at this as she quickly turned her back to him but did not think anything further as she quickly held a bottle up to him. _

_"Sexual lubricant!" she read out from the label on the bottle. " It's half empty, sticky!" she observed, as a slight blush crept into her cheeks. She was thankful for the dark lighting of the room at that moment. She perched her lips slightly from preventing herself from smiling before lowering the bottle and turning to meet his eyes. "You know you don't have to sleep in the same bed together to have sex or... romance for that matter!" _

_They held each other gaze for a moment longer. The sexual tension between them could be cut with a knife, it was so thick. They both wanted it so badly and they both knew it was going to happen sooner rather then later. Their last date, just over a few days ago had ended with a pretty heavy make-out session in Grissom's car outside of Sara's apartment complex. She had invited him upstairs but he had declined, saying it wasn't the time. She had been disappointed but had understood. He wanted this to be about more then just getting into each other's pants like some many of her relationships before had been about. _

_Sara was the first one to look away nervously as she pretended to read the bottle as if the answer to the murder was hidden their. He smirked slightly at her discomfort before announcing loudly, "I'm gonna go see the doctor!" He gestured with his head to downstairs. _

_Sara looked up at this and smiled, "I will guard the house," she whispered. _

* * *

Sara's brown eyes scanned the master bedroom. She was on scene and looking for anything out of place. Anything that would help the case. The whole nightshift crew was there. A young woman had been murdered in her living room. It was a puzzling case.

She couldn't help but let out a sigh as she lowered her flashlight and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't got much sleep over the last few days. Not only hadn't she heard from Gil in two days but that he was suppose to be returning to the states in just over a week. She was afraid that he was bailing on her. He had promised that he would phone everyday. That they would talk daily. And it's not like she hadn't attempted to call him. But every time she did, it went straight to voice mail.

She swallowed over the sudden lump in her throat as she tried to get her bearings. She was suddenly overcome with butterflies. She hated that Gil was doing this to her again. Giving her false hope.

She didn't know what had suddenly changed for him to stop contacting her. Especially when he knew how important it was for her. Especially when he was suppose to be coming home soon. She was trying to keep it together. She couldn't lose her shit now, she thought to herself. Especially at work.

"Hey," spoke a voice from behind her.

Sara turned suddenly around in surprise at this. "You scared me," she whispered as she locked eyes with Greg. She let out a nervous chuckle as he continued to look at her.

Greg had that expression on his face, that she didn't like. His hazel eyes were edged in concern as he continued to stay in the threshold of the bedroom.

She hadn't told anyone about Grissom not calling. She wasn't ready to discuss what it meant yet. She didn't want to face the reality that he was bailing on his word. Blinking the tears that suddenly stung her eyes, she put a smile on her face. "What's up?" she asked towards Greg.

The CSI didn't say anything as he held her gaze for a second before stepping into the room. He had come to tell her what they had found in the bathroom. He could sense something was bothering her but he didn't push her on it. He knew better then to tell her that, he told her so. That Grissom would once again break her heart. That he was a coward and didn't deserve her.

However, this wasn't the time or place for that. They were still at work. So instead, he began to explain to her, what they had found, possibly the murder weapon.

_"You know Catherine told me something interesting today," spoke Sara, nervously as she unlocked the front door of her apartment and held it open for Grissom. He nodded his head in thank you as he brushed passed her and stepped into the apartment. _

_"And what was that?" he asked after a moment of silence had passed between them and Sara didn't finished her sentence. _

_"Oh," spoke Sara, realizing she hadn't told him yet. She was nervous. She had just let Grissom into her apartment. The last time he had been there was when she had told him about her childhood. "well she was making a comment about the case...she said, that Lovers and co-workers never work..."Her voice nervously trailed off as she turned her back to Grissom and locked the door behind her. She didn't know why she was telling him this. Was she trying to get him to run away? _

_Grissom didn't say anything at first to this. He knew that Sara was nervous. He was too. They were suppose to go out to dinner with each other but couldn't stand the tension any longer. They both knew where the night would lead too. They were just speeding it up a little by skipping dinner. He watched as she turned the bolts of the lock on the door and slowly removed her jacket she was wearing. She was avoiding making eye contact with him. _

_Taking a step towards her, he enclosed the distance between them. "Well, we aren't lovers yet," he whispered tenderly as he placed a hand on her shoulder, making her jump slightly at his touch. _

_She then looked over her shoulder towards him. Their eyes never leaving each other faces as Grissom's hand moved down her arm, caressing it softly, sending shivers down Sara's back. She then slowly turned towards him. They were now inches apart as he slowly ran his hand back up her arm and cupped the side of her face. He caressed her cheek before placing his other hand on her hip. Leaning forward he then captured her lips with his. _

_The kiss was soft and tender. _

_It took Sara a moment or two to relax before she kissed him back, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. They stayed like this for a bit, gently kissing one another before moving towards the couch. _

_Taking a seat beside him, Sara attacked him. _

_Her hands clenched at the curls at the back of his neck, pulling his mouth onto hers. The kiss was deepened immediately as she slipped her tongue into his open mouth. Grissom was taken slightly back by her sudden boldness but it didn't take him too long to recover as he pulled her to his lap. His hands ran up and down her back before sliding up the front of her shirt and cupping her breasts. _

_They continued like this for a moment longer before breaking apart. Adrenaline and excitement pounded through both of them as they stared intensely into each other's eyes. Their eyes were dark with desire for one another. There was no denying it, they both wanted each other. _

_Resting her forehead against Grissom's, she pressed a kiss to his lips before grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. They then walked the short distance towards her bedroom door, which was closed. _

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Greg towards her. They were driving back to the lab together. They had just finished up at the scene. Greg was driving.

Sara looked over at him through the corner of her eye. No, she didn't want to talk about it, she thought to herself. She was staring straight ahead now as thoughts began to surface in her mind. There had been a time when Grissom had wanted her. Truly wanted her. That much she knew to be true. It was back when their relationship had still been new. Still had been exciting. It had been when they had first ever made love. He had wanted her then.

But now, years later. She didn't know if that was still true. If he still really wanted her or not.

Greg took her silence as a no. He knew better then to push Sara Sidle with questions. It would only make her withdraw further into herself. He didn't want that Sara to return again. Over the past three weeks or so since Grissom had called her, she had seemed to be in a better mood. She smiled more. Laughed more. She still didn't talk much about Grissom. But you could tell she was looking on the bright side of things. That she was looking forward to her husband coming back.

But he could tell something had changed. Either, Grissom had changed his mind and wasn't coming back or something else had happened. He just wasn't sure what. He continued to throw glances in Sara's direction the rest of the car journey together.

_Neither spoke as Sara pushed open the door to reveal the room that Grissom had been dreaming about recently. She let go Grissom's hand as they stood in the doorframe. _

_Sara's eyes never left his face as they stood in the threshold of her bedroom. Her heart was pounding nervously against her chest cavity. This was a moment she had been dreaming about for years since she had met him. Excitement and nerves fluttered through the pit of her stomach as she took a step into the bedroom. _

_Turning to look over at her shoulder at him, she gestured ever so slightly with her hand for him to follow. _

_It was an invitation. _

_An invitation not only to enter her bedroom but to enter into her life. _

_She bit down on her lower lip as she saw the hesitation pass in the orbs of his eyes. He was rejecting her yet again, she thought to herself. However, that thought quickly drifted away as she felt his lips press against hers. _

_He hadn't wanted to rush into anything. He was for taking it slow. But in that moment as he watched Sara enter her bedroom, inviting him inside, he knew he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to finally take her in his arms and make love to her. He wanted to show Sara how much she meant to him. Reaching out, he pulled her to him, pressing his mouth against hers. The kiss was soft and gentle._

_Sara's hands rested against his chest, feeling the beating of his heart against her palm. He was just as nervous as she was, she sensed. A moment passed before the kiss deepened. Grissom's hands slid up the back of her shirt as she allowed his tongue to slip into the depths of her mouth. The tip of it ran along the edge of her top teeth. _

_He wanted her. _

_Sara, intertwined her tongue with Grissom's as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers clenching at the curls on the back of his neck. _

_A few moments passed before they broke apart completely. Taking a slight step back, they stared intensely at one another as they caught their breaths. Every taste, every touch seemed so new, so fresh. Like teenagers, they were rediscovery sex for the first time. _

_Never letting her eyes fall from his gaze, Sara began to slowly get undressed. She started off with her shoes. Bending forward slightly, she reached down and removed each of the sneakers she was wearing. Kicking them quickly off and to the side, she reached for the edge of her t-shirt. Her heart was beating quickly and loudly against her chest as she crossed her arms over her stomach and pulled the shirt up and off in one fluid motion, revealing a light pink bra. Grissom's eyes darkened as in took in the sight of her milky white breasts pushed up in the cups of the bra. He desperately wanted to unhook the bra so that he could enjoy the full sight of them. However, he resisted. Reminding himself that they needed to go slow. _

_His gaze dropped slightly as he watched as Sara's hands traveled down her stomach to the fly of her jeans. Popping the button off, she slowly undid the zipper before gently tugging the waistband down her slim hips. She pushed the jeans down her long legs before stepping out of them. She left her panties on. She would leave them for Grissom to remove. She was glad that she was wearing matching undergarments for once. _

_She was blushing slightly as she felt Grissom's eyes on her, taking in the sight of her body in the flesh. _

_He could feel his body stir below the waist as he continued to star at her nearly naked body before him. He had always known she was beautiful and imaged her body would be a work of art beneath her clothes. However, it still took his breath away to see her in the flesh. _

_She was gorgeous. _

_"Your turn," she whispered towards him, a small smile playing on her face as she locked eyes with him once again. _

_He stared blankly at her for a moment before returning the smile. He then began to strip. Starting with his shirt, he slowly unbuttoned it. Once the last button was undone, Grissom pushed the shirt off of his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. He was wearing a black undershirt. As he looked at Sara he couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. Over the past few years he had gained a few extra pounds in his waist. Sucking in his gut a little he then removed the black shirt from his torso. He was nervous at what Sara would see and think of his body. The fifteen years between them noticeable as he had the body of a old man. However, this did not play on Sara's face. Her eyes only showed her desire for him. They were dark as they took in the hardest of his pecks and falling the trail of soft hairs down the centre of his chest to the waistband of his dark slacks. _

_Flexing his fingers, he dropped the undershirt and began to undo the buckle of his belt. He did not dare to look at Sara as he slowly undid the zipper of the fly and shimmied out of the dark slacks. It was then with embarrassment, he remembered that his shoes were still on. Blushing slightly, he struggled for a few moments as he attempted to take off his pants while still wearing his shoes. _

_Sara tried to compose herself as she bit down on her lower lip, preventing herself from laughing out loud at the sight of Grissom struggling. _

_"I'm glad you find this amusing Sara Sidle," he whispered up towards her as he finally managed to remove both his pants and shoes. _

_"Sorry," she mouthed to him. However, he didn't seem to be upset as he took a step towards her. They smiled at one another, knowing what was coming next. Reaching out, he placed his hands on her waist, drawing her close to him yet again. The hardness of his erection poked into her stomach through the cotton of his boxer briefs. Resting his forehead against hers, they stared intensely into each other's eyes for a second before their lips crashed passionately together. Their tongues slipped into each other's mouths. _

_As they continued to kiss, they began to move slowly towards the bed. Their mouths continued to be infused together as the back of Sara's knees hit the edge of the bed, causing her to fall on her back against the mattress. Removing his hands from her waist, he pinned them down onto the bed, on either side of Sara's shoulders, steadying himself as he towered over her. _

_As the kiss continued to deepened, Sara's hands began to explore Grissom's body. They rested in the middle of his back before slowly roaming up to his bulging shoulder's muscles as he held his weight. Sara was surprised by his strength and stamina as he held this position for a few moments longer before breaking the kiss. Catching his breath, he smiled down at her before attacking the side of her neck. He closed his eyes briefly as he ran the tip of his nose against the delicate angle of her neck, breathing in that intoxicating smell of hers. He could feel himself becoming extremely aroused as he lowered himself slightly onto her so that his bare chest brushed up against her bra clad one. Wetting his lips, he kissed the spot where her jaw met up with her ear and trailed his lips downward to her collarbone. _

_Sara had her head turned to the side, exposing her neck to him, giving him better excess. A small purr like sound escaped from her lips as Grissom found the spot. Her toes curled slightly with pleasure as he deepened his touch on her, biting down slightly on her skin. The edge of his teeth softly tugging on the skin. _

_Sliding her hands down his back, she cupped his ass cheeks for a moment before skimming her fingers along the waistband of his boxers to his front. She gently ran the pads of her fingers along the side of his ribs. His body tensed slightly at this, letting out a shudder breath. Sensing that something was wrong, she removed her hands from his body and turned her head to look up at him. A worried expression flashed across her face as she met his eye. _

_He smiled down at her, "Ticklish!" he whispered before kissing her softly as the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile. She would have never guessed that Gil Grissom was ticklish. _

_They then moved further onto the queen bed, so that their heads now rested against the pillows. This is when things really heated up between the two CSI's. __They both turned on their sides to face one another as their mouths touched in the dark. Grissom's hand reached out and cupped the side of Sara's face as her hand rested gently on the crook of his arm. _

_As the kiss grew, he ran his hand down the side of her neck and along the curve of her body. With their lips still locked together, he grabbed a hold of her waist and moved her so that she was now underneath him as he straddled her hips. His hands traveled down her hips and up her thighs. Flexing his pelvis, he pushed his erection into her. _

_Breaking apart the slobbery kiss, Grissom began to kiss his way down Sara's neck to her chest. Hungry eyes looked up at him as she nodded her head. Allowing him to unhook her bra, revealing her breasts. _

_While still holding the bra in his hands, he couldn't help but admire how perfect her breasts where. They were absolutely perfect, he thought, not to large that they spilled over her body but not to small either. They were so perfect that they fit smugly against the palms of his hands. A smile tugged at his lips at this discovery. _

_Throwing the bra to the side of the bed, he once again cupped her breasts in his hands. His touch was light as he pushed them together and back. He massaged the soft flesh slowly, his eyes observing Sara's face as he did so. Like he was on a crime scene, he wanted to know every single detail about her body. What turned her on and what turned her off. _

_Deepening his touch, his fingers pressed and knotted at the base of her breasts. Sara's eyes were half closed as she felt her body beginning to melt under his touch. _

_The pads of his thumbs brushed against her nipples, sending a shiver down her back. He waited a second, watching her response before repeating the action. A satisfying noise to his ears, escaped from her open lips as she suddenly arched her back and forcing her chest further into his hands. _

_Taking this as an open invitation, Grissom pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, twisting the sensitive skin. Sara let out a shudder breath in response to his bold move. As he continue to play her breast in his left hand, his mouth decided to get in on the action. Taking the now hard peak of her right breast into his month, he sucked on it gently before flicking it back and forth between his tongue. His blue eyes continued to observe her, making sure she was having just as much fun as he was. _

_Sara's eyes were fully closed now as her body filled with pleasure. _

_He continued on like this for a moment longer, gently teasing her with his tongue before fully opening his mouth and putting it as best as he could around her breast. He bobbed his head up and down as he ran his tongue along the base of it and around, tracing a circle with his tongue before going back to the harden nipple. He then did something that both surprised and thrilled Sara. He gently nibbled down on it, tugging on it slightly with the edges of his teeth. _

_Sara couldn't help but think about their case from earlier and how the husband had had a fetish with biting. She wondered if Grissom shared the same. _

_Grissom then changed sides. Repeating the same movement on the left breast as he had on the right. _

_Once he was done with her breasts, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a quick passionate kiss before sliding his hands down the flatness of her stomach to her lower region. His right hand cupped her as he used his left to hold his weight. As they continued to kiss, Grissom's finger gently stroked her through the thin material of her panties. He continued to tease her like this before she couldn't take it any longer and broke away from the kiss breathless. Her brown eyes locked with his. Her eyes were filled with lust. _

_She wanted him, badly. _

_Smiling seductively at her, he moved his body downward, kissing her stomach as he went. Both his hands now were rubbing up and down her thighs as he continued to trail wet kisses down her torso, stopping at the laced edge of her panties. He touched his nose to her pussy, breathing in her aroma. He then lifted Sara's hips off of the bed so that he could removed her panties. _

_Sara was thankful that she had gone for a waxing a couple of days ago, as she lay fully naked on the bed. Grissom just simply looked at her, taking in the sight of her as she lay before him like a buffet table filled with desserts. He couldn't help but lick his lips as he felt himself tighten. He wasn't as young as he use to be. He had to brace himself nowadays he found. Sara smiled a shy smile at him as she noticed the budging tent below his waist. _

_They were both ready now. However Grissom needed to taste her. Stretching out on the bed, so that he was laying on his stomach, with his feet hanging off the edge, he positioned himself between Sara's open legs. His hands were resting on her hips as he once again breathed in her aroma, kissing her neatly trimmed pubic hairs. Sara let out a deep breath, preparing herself as he kissed her sensitive button. She moaned slightly as goosebumps covered body. He licked at her, roaming his tongue along her entire pussy before sliding it into her slit. The hairs from his beard rubbing up against her. _

_Sara moaned again, louder this time and longer as his mouth worked her. She had always imagined what sex with Grissom would be like. But never in her wildest dreams did she think it would feel like this...so good...so wonderful. _

_One of her hands clenched at the bed sheets beneath her as the other one clasped at his salt and peppers curls, punching his head further into her. The heels of her feet digging into the mattress as her hips lifted slightly off of the surface of the bed and pushed against his mouth. What his tongue was doing to her, felt so good. Her eyes were closed shut as her mouth hung open as pleasure spread like fire through her. She was close to coming as he continued to eat at her._

_He lifted his head slightly to catch his breath before flicking his tongue over her cit. "Come for me," he whispered as he blew cold air against her hot skin. He then slid two fingers into her where his tongue had been. Sara let out a cry as his finger stroked her insides, soon finding her spot. "Come for me," he whispered again, this time pleading. He wanted to see Sara lose control. _

_It didn't take her much longer to do so as surrendered to his touch fully. Allowing her muscles to relax and become limp after pleasure washed over her. Grissom watched her as he pushed his hand into one last time before removing his hand, he licked at her wetness like a cat cleaning up spilled milk. Sitting up slowly he licked at his fingers. The room was quiet except for the soft panting of Sara as she tried to regain her breathing. Looking up at him through half closed eyes, she smiled sheepishly at him. _

_"You are beautiful," he whispered as leaned forwarded and kissed the side of her neck. _

_She reached out and caressed the side of his face. Her eyes were filled with joy and devotion for him. Leaning forward, he captured his lips with her. As they continued to kiss, Sara's hand traveled down his chest, brushing his nipple softly before moving down his stomach and disappearing into the waist band of his boxers. Her fingers wrapped around the base of his hard member, and gently tugged on it. She deepened her touch after a moment. _

_"Sara," whispered suddenly, breaking the kiss and removing her hand from his boxers. _

_A look of hurt and rejection flashed across Sara's face at this. She didn't understand why he wouldn't let her pleasure him like he just had. She wanted to return the favour. _

_"Let me make love to you," he added kissing her softly on the lips before standing up and removing his boxers. He couldn't help but chuckle as Sara took in the sight of his seven inch erection. "Surprised?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as she continue to stare at it in wonderment. _

_A slight blush flushed her cheeks at being caught but she quickly smiled broadly up at him, "Not in the least!" she spoke, her voice dripping with desire. They stared at one another for a moment longer before Grissom kneeled back down on the bed. He blushed slightly as a thought came to his mind. He had not been expecting this to happen today, so he hadn't brought the appropriate equipment. _

_"What's wrong?" she asked suddenly, noticing his discomfort._

_"I didn't bring...I don't have...are you on...do you have?" he asked gesturing his hand to his member. He had never felt so embarrassed then he did at this moment. This was the last thing he had wanted to happened. _

_Sara stared at him blankly for a second before realization flashed through her eyes. "A condom?!" she cried, "Yeah I got!" she smiled at him before moving slightly towards the left side of the bed and opened the draw of the nightstand. Grissom watched as she rummaged for something before pulling out a small silver package. She smiled at him as she ripped open the foil with her teeth. He had never seen a sexier thing, he thought to himself as he watched as Sara took the condom and rolled it down his member. "You've done this before," he observed. _

_"A few times," she whispered back, playfully winking at him. _

_She planted a kiss on his lips before looking into his eyes, "You ready baby?" she asked. _

_He nodded his head nervously as he positioned himself between Sara's legs. She smiled a small smile up at him. She was just as nervous as he was as he slowly pushed into her. His hand rested on either side of her hips for leverage. He closed his eyes briefly as he pulled out and slowly back in again. He continue at this speed for a moment or two longer, letting Sara get use to the size of him. Flexing the cheeks of his buttock, he slammed his full self into her. Sara's mouth formed an O shape at this sudden move. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him further into her as he adjusted himself so that his bare chest rubbed up against hers. His hands were resting on either side of her neck as they began to move as one, hips thrusting against one another. _

_Their love making went on for a few moments longer before they both came. Sara's fingers dug into Grissom's shoulders as she cried out as pleasure once again washed through her. Grissom pushed one last time into her before, collapsing onto her. His heart was racing as he tried to regain his breathing. Both were quiet for a moment as they lay their panting. _

_Pulling his now softened member out of her, he removed the condom and placed it on the nightstand before lying down on his back. Reaching out, he pulled Sara to him. Her arm fell across his stomach as she lay her hand against his chest. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder and his hand rest just underneath her breast. Turning his head, he kissed her on the forehead. _

_They didn't say anything as their breathing became normal. There was a million things he wanted to say to her but found no words would do. There were not enough words in the world to express how perfect this moment was. How overjoyed he was. Sara kissed his nipple as she smuggled closer to him, wrapping her left leg around his. Her eyes filled with tears but she quickly blinked them away. She would not cry, she told herself. _

_Neither had to say anything as they continued to lay together, the musk of their love making still hanging thick in the air. They both knew that there would be no turning back now. That they had crossed a line and couldn't go back. However, neither wanted too. They had both wanted this and didn't want things to go back to the way they were before. They had both gotten a taste on what it was like to be with one another. Like a moth to a flame, they couldn't resist. _

* * *

Sara closed the front door behind her before dropping her purse and keys onto the small end table by the entrance. She immediately kicked off her sneakers she was wearing before making her way towards the kitchen. She was in need of a glass of wine.

It had been a long day for her. Both emotionally and physically. At the end of shift, Both Nick and Greg had invited her to join them at Rhino's. But she had declined. She just wanted to be alone. She had seen the worry flash in their eyes but she had ignored it.

She didn't plan on keeping them in the dark. She would tell them when she knew herself what was going on.

A sigh escaped from her lips as she made her way into the kitchen. The sun was just rising now over the tree tops of her back yard. It's bright rays pouring through the kitchen window.

_Grissom awoke to the bright Nevada sun peaking through the white muslin curtains that covered the large window in the room. Slowly sitting up he took in his surroundings, the events of last night filling his mind. _

_He was in Sara's bedroom. _

_Looking to the other side of the bed, he noticed it was empty. He frowned slightly at this but heard movement coming from the kitchen. Sitting back against the pillow, he took in the bedroom. He hadn't looked at it much last night, he had been too busy looking at the naked women underneath him. However, in the late morning sunlight, he get a clear view of the room. The walls were painted a bright cornflower blue, which matched the blue in the bedspread, which had large flowers printed on it. The furniture in the room was all from Ikea, he noted, recognizing some of the familiar pieces from his own home. A slight smile appeared on his face at this. Along the far right wall, large sliding glass doors covered most of it. He assumed that this was her closet. There were two nightstands on either side of the bed, each adorned with a lamp. On the one closets to Grissom's side of the bed, he noted there was Sara's latest reading material. On the other nightstand there was a small radio with a digital clock on it. The walls were bare except for a medium size black and white lino print of the Golden Gate Bridge. It hung over a set of draws. The room was very Sara, simple but beautiful. _

_However he frowned slightly as he took in a yoga mat rolled up and laying underneath the window. Since when did Sara do yoga? he thought to himself as he kicked off the covers and planted his feet onto the cold wooden floors. His blues eyes searched around the room for his discarded clothes from the night before but could find them no where in the room. _

_His brows creased at this as he stood up and walked towards the bedroom door. He stood in the threshold, forgetting about his missing clothes as he took in the sight of Sara before him. She was dressed in nothing but short white cotton boy shorts and a faded old maroon Harvard t-shirt. The shirt was tight and just barely covered her mid-section. Her hair was loose and straight. She had her back towards him as stood over the stove. She was singing softly to herself. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. She looked like she did when he had first met her, years ago at a lecture. She had been wearing the same Harvard shirt. Except it had been a little longer he remembered. _

_Walking across the living room, he approached her from behind. "Where are my clothes?" he spoke towards her, making her jump slightly at hearing his voice in her ear. _

_She turned around to face him, a spatula in her hand. "Hi!" she whispered, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards into a grin. Her eyes were bright and cheerful. _

_"Hi," he whispered back, leaning in ward and kissing her softly on the lips. This sudden affection both surprised and thrilled them. It seemed and had been so natural. _

_They stood there for a moment longer, grinning like teenagers at each other before the crisp smell of something burning filled their noses. _

_"Crap!" cried out Sara suddenly, turning away from Grissom and back onto the stove. Her pancakes were burning. As she lowered the heat on the burner, she flipped the pancake onto it's other side. "I thought I would make us breakfast," she nervously explained over her shoulder at him. _

_"Breakfast?" asked Grissom, noting the time on the oven clock, it was just passed eleven in the morning. "Isn't it a little late for that?" _

_"I guess so," murmured Sara, "Well consider it late breakfast, earlier lunch. How's that?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him and smiling. _

_"Sounds good to me!" he replied back returning the smile. He watched her for a moment as she flipped a second pancake. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the small of her back and slowly moved his fingers up the back of her shirt. _

_"Gil!" she whispered in a nervous giggle. _

_"What?" he asked, innocently. _

_"I can't concentrate on doing this," she spoke gesturing to her frying pan, "While you are doing that!" _

_He just simply smiled at her before placing his other hand on her hip and moved it down before cupping her ass cheek. He was suddenly hungry for more then just pancakes as he looked longingly into her eyes. Leaning forward so that their faces were just inches apart, he kissed her on the lips. "But I want you!" he whispered. _

_These four words sent shivers down her spine as she looked into the eyes of Grissom. Over the years that they had known each other, this had been the sexiest thing he had ever spoken to her. It took all her might not to drop the spatula she was holding and jump Grissom right then and there. However, there would be time for a round two later. Right now her pancakes were burning. It took her a second to compose herself, placing a firm hand on Grissom's bare chest and pushing him away slightly. "I do too but my pancakes are burning," she quickly explained to him before once again turning her attention onto the frying pan. _

_"Why don't you make yourself at home and watch TV or something?" she asked over to him. He was still standing there a foot away from her fully naked and aroused. _

_He merely smirked at her before moving around the island of the kitchen and taken a seat on the barstool. As his skin touched the cold metal seat, it dawned on him why he had come out to see her in the first place. _

_"Where are my clothes?" he asked._

_"Oh, I decided to wash them for you," she replied, "They were suppose to be done before you got up. You just got up too earlier," she teased at him._

_"Well, I got lonely without you," he replied softly. His voice was tender. _

_Sara blushed slightly at this. She still wasn't use to Grissom talking like this to her. She kept on thinking that this was all just a dream and that she would wake up any minute. _

_"When did you start doing yoga?" he asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. _

_"Oh, just a couple months ago," she answered as she turned her back once again to him as she turned off the oven and removed the pancakes from the frying pan. "When I was on leave, the consoler I was set up with told me that I needed to do something with all the anger and emotion I was feeling. So I joined a kick-boxing class at the Y but found that it only made me more on edge. So I decided to take up yoga, since it seemed to be more calming. I though I would hate it but I really do enjoy it!" she continued on explaining as divided up the pancakes onto two plates. _

_"That's good," he replied. After she had told him about her childhood and why she was anger all the time. He had worried about her. But was happy that she had finally found an outlet for herself. _

_"Yeah, the breathing exercise really do work! I have taken a few classes but it's hard sometimes. I try to drop in every now and then. After I got the basic down, I started doing it at home. Either after shift or before. I even bought a yoga DVD, that I do sometimes, " she continued on explaining as she placed the two plates down on the island before turning towards the fridge and grabbing the maple syrup and butter. _

_He couldn't help but admire the joy in her voice as she talked about her classes. It was nice to see her happy like this. _

_"What do you want to drink?" she asked towards him as she closed the fridge door and placed the syrup and butter down in front of him on the island. "I just made a fresh pot of coffee. There is orange juice in the fridge or milk or water?" she added gesturing to the sink. _

_"Coffee," he answered, smiling at her. _

_Returning the smile, she then once again began to sing to herself as she opened one of the cupboards and producing two mugs, giving Grissom a nice view of her rear end as she stood slightly on her toes._

_After breakfast was finished and the dishes cleared and put in the dishwasher, round two began. Sara lead Grissom over to the couch, where pushed him down before straddling his lap. She kissed him passionately as her hands roamed up and down his bare chest. As the kiss deepened, Grissom cupped her firm ass, pushing the material of the boy shorts up, allowing him better access to her hot mount. The pads of his fingers brushing against her cit as he squeezed her cheeks. _

_Her hips grinded against his in response to his touch. He could feel himself getting hard as she repeated the movement, the softness of her underwear brushing up against the sensitive skin. _

_A few moments later, Sara was breaking apart the kiss to Grissom's surprise. His blue eyes opened and watched as she smiled seductively at him as she dropped to her knees. "It's my turn," she whispered as she wrapped her hand around the bottom of his shaft and began to tug on it slightly. She then took the penis into her mouth, looking up at Grissom with heavy eyes, studying his face as she drove him to pleasure. His member swelled and filled her mouth. Sara's head moved back and forth, thrusting him in and out of her mouth. She sucked, licked and nibbled with her teeth and tongue, bringing him to harden fully. A deep grunt penetrated from the back of his throat._

_"Oh Sar..." he moaned softly as he grabbed the back of her head, making his harden cock plunged deeper into her mouth to the back of her throat. He held her head fast, as her tongue moved in circled motions along the pulsing skin within her mouth. Cum filled her taste buds as he quickly came._

_Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, she fell back onto her ankles. Her brown eyes looked up at Grissom, who was breathing heavily against the pillows. His eyes were closed as he tried to regain sensation in his limp body. Sara couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. She couldn't believe she had just blew him like so many times she had dreamt about doing in her fantasies. _

* * *

So I know it seems like this story isn't going anywhere but be patient. Grissom and Sara will meet soon enough. :)

Thanks for reading and please review!

Julie


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